Here on Brooklyn Balling, I’ll try to recap the chaos that was the 2013-14 Nets season with a series of “Season Review” posts on the players, trades, and even coach that shaped how this year turned out. Joe Johnson was last, and Alan Anderson is up next.
When the Nets signed Alan Anderson to a one-year contract (with a player option for a second season) this past summer away from divisional rival Toronto, they knew they were getting a reserve shooting guard who was sound on defense and could hit the occasional three here and there. And for the most part, that’s exactly what they got from Anderson, whose field goal attempts and points per game dropped in his first season in Brooklyn.
Alan only shot 38% from the field in the 2012-13 campaign with the Raptors and increased that weak number to an even 40% this past year. With a three-point shooting percentage hovering around 34%–not exactly ideal for a player who relies on the three as much as Anderson–however, his scoring production was partially limited as the Nets offense was designed to and did produce open threes for players, shots they missed in some key playoff games. Anderson was no exception.
He went only 9-for-31 from three-point range in Brooklyn’s 12 playoff games (good, or bad, for 29%), contributing to the Nets’ shaky long-distance shooting that wasn’t there for Jason Kidd’s squad in much of its postseason run. There were just too many open, uncontested, good looks from deep for Anderson that he either passed up or just missed. Take those points away from the Nets and it’s not shocking they lost in five games to Miami.
Obviously, the problem ran deeper than just with Anderson as Deron Williams, Marcus Thornton, Paul Pierce and others were all shaky from beyond the arc for Brooklyn in the postseason. However, Alan didn’t really help the problem at all, as he was even worse from three in the playoffs than he was in the regular season, and he was pretty bad in the regular season.
This might change next season, Anderson’s second with the Nets in Brooklyn, and for Jason Kidd’s sake, hopefully it does. The Nets will probably be losing some scoring this offseason if Shaun Livingston and Pierce leave–and if KG retires or Deron is traded–so Alan could grab some playing time if he can consistently hit open threes that are presented to him. As I mentioned above, the Brooklyn offense–which thrives on passing, ball movement, and player motion–is at its most effective when shooters are hitting the good shots the system gives them.
However, when they don’t, points are scrapped right off the board and long rebounds can go to the opponent, allowing for easier fastbreak opportunities. These situations, occurring in games, can prove to be brutal, leading to extended opponent runs that can turn a close game into a blowout and a lead into a deficit. If guys like Anderson make their threes though, that doesn’t happen nearly as much.
He does have a player option for next year, so he isn’t definitely going to be a Net going forward, but all signs point to him exercising said option and remaining with the team for the 2014-15 campaign. With his flaws and all, Anderson is a good role player who can put in a solid 20 minutes a game and is someone the Nets will be happy to have back, should that be his choice.
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