Previous Scouting Reports:
As NBA draft prospects go from city to city working out for teams, they are followed by rumors and rhetoric. One thing that doesn’t always travel with them is desire. There is no secret that players would rather play in certain cities more than others but when you aren’t a guaranteed lottery pick, you can’t be too picky as to where you work out.
When Virginia guard Justin Anderson was in Portland a couple weeks ago, there was no lack of desire. He worked hard on the court, and also off the court. He tried to convince the media and personnel around that he was a good fit for the Blazers.
Anderson was asked about if he fit in the Blazers offensive style. He said, “Yeah. For sure. You’ve got to be able to space the floor. When you’ve got guys like LaMarcus; when you’ve got guys like Damian, who has the ball in his hands a lot. He needs to be able to penetrate. So explosive, get to the basket. And if he doesn’t see anything, being able to kick it out. CJ, I think, made a great living off of that. Wes made a great living off of that. So I think I can see an opportunity here. One of the things that I think benefits me is I can play right away. I think I have an NBA-ready body. I can guard, like I said, four positions. So for me, it’s just get ready to go.”
My scouting report on this eager and confident guard prospect…
Scouting Report: Justin Anderson
Hometown: Montross, Virginia.
Height: 6’6.5” (w/ shoes).
Weight: 231 pounds.
Noted Measurables: 6’11.75” wingspan, 8’5” standing reach, 5% body fat, 43” max vert (all measurements from the 2015 NBA Combine).
School: University of Virginia (3 seasons).
Experience: 98 games, 3 years in college (2015 Third-team All-American, 2015 Second-team All-ACC, 2014 ACC Sixth Man of the Year).
Age: 22 (November 19, 1993).
College Statistics: 8.9 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, 1.8 assists per game, 43% field goal, 36% 3-point field goal.
Scouting Report:
Offense: Very athletic. Good outside shooter. Big, strong body helps him finish in the paint. Struggles to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. Very quick first jump he uses to offensive rebound and put-back. Confident outside shooter. Needs to create more space for himself in the midrange. Needs to use his athleticism to drive and finish. Runs off screens well. Not afraid of taking the big shot. Good instincts on backdoor cuts. Good offensive rebound instincts. Average passer but shows flashes of being a good distributor for his position. Great in transition.
Defense: Combination of length and athleticism makes him a very good shot blocker for his position. His strength helps him defend 2s and 3s, can defend some point guards but lacks initial quickness. Can stay in front of opponent around perimeter. Can be over-aggressive on close outs. Very good tools. When it all comes together, he can be a special defender. Can get lost on defensive switches but recovers nicely. When he is fully engaged, he gives opponents headaches. Can use length more effectively to impact passing lanes. Defensive potential may be as high as anyone else in the draft.
Highlights:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfVHjTegCC0] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EALedoyS3Ac] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgH-rX2-Sl0]NBA Comparison: Xavier Henry – Both of these guys are about the same size, about 6’6” and over 220 lbs. Solid body shooting guards that can slide to the 3 when needed. Anderson has much higher upside than Henry. I would say that Henry would be about the floor of what I expect Anderson to become in the NBA. Henry has found himself as a role player for a couple teams but has bounced around and found himself in the D-league last season. Anderson has the physical tools to fill a role for a team for years to come. With even an average work ethic, Anderson can develop to be more than a 3-and-D shooting guard and make an impact for whatever team drafts him.
Where he would fit in Portland: As of right now, the shooting guard position is pretty loaded. But there are a lot of things hanging in the balance. Wesley Matthews is an unrestricted free agent. Arron Afflalo has a player option. CJ McCollum has shown flashes of greatness but hasn’t shown that for any length of time. If all three guys are back next year, that will be the most loaded position on the team. If McCollum is the only player remaining on the roster, at this position, the Blazers need to bring in another shooting guard and Anderson could really fit in with McCollum to develop a young, lethal combination.
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