Los Angeles Clippers: Ranking new players from free agency
By Tom West
3. Alan Anderson
There isn’t much space between Bass at four and Alan Anderson at three on this list. If Anderson is used enough, that is.
Both Wesley Johnson and Luc Mbah a Moute are returning next season, and there’s a good chance Luc will retain his starting role thanks to his defense and hustle that was so valued in 2015-16. As for Johnson, coming off a 20.8 minutes per game season, he may experience a little more change now that Anderson has arrived.
Primarily, though, Clippers fans will be hoping that the signing of Anderson will further limit Paul Pierce. Because, as the latest reports on his decision indicate, it’s highly likely that Pierce will be returning to the Clippers for his 19th and surely final season in the NBA.
I don’t need to go into too much detail as to the issues with that. I’ve done so in a far more detailed column here, but the fact that he couldn’t be relied upon from three last season (31 percent) or anywhere else for that matter (career-worst 36.3 field goal percentage) and was such a liability as an aged defender pretty much sums up why another small forward was needed.
Anderson doesn’t necessarily fix the Clippers’ small forward situation or serve as an upgrade at the position. Instead — which is why Clippers fans can be pleased — he simply offers more depth as a superior option to Pierce. And for the minimum, there were hardly any better options than Anderson for the Clippers to pursue.
As a 34.5 percent three-point shooter for his career, Anderson isn’t the most prolific marksman the Clippers could have added this summer. The only remaining players on the team to shoot more than 34 percent from three last season are Chris Paul and J.J. Redick, so Anderson doesn’t turn around that weakness for the bench.
That being said, Anderson is reliable enough to play off the ball and pose far more threat than the likes of Mbah a Moute to balance out the shot creation of Jamal Crawford. Plus, with the capability to attack close outs and maintain high efficiency inside (64.2 percent within three feet for his career), Anderson generally fills the Clippers’ needs offensively.
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Anderson also has far more agility and intensity to help on defense than someone like Pierce, too. In fact, his on/off statistics are quite telling of a positive impact off the bench.
Teams scored 5.5 fewer points per 100 possessions against the Wizards last season when Anderson was on the floor. Although, 13 games is a tiny sample size. Even dating back to 2014-15, though, Anderson’s Brooklyn Nets allowed 6.7 less points per 100 possessions with him in the game.
The concern with Anderson — more so than a less than ideal three-point percentage — is his injury history. He played at least 74 games 2013-14 and 2014-15, but experienced some injuries in the earlier years of his career and only appeared in 13 games last season due to ankle issues.
However, providing he stays healthy, it’s easy to approve of the Anderson signing when the Clippers were so in need of depth (limiting Pierce) on the wing.
Next: 2. The new third point guard