Thoughts on K. Anderson

[Jim Hill <jahill@leasingservice.com>]

Giving a different insight (my own) to the Anderson dilemma my start a
flame war against me but here goes.......

Anderson came in two seasons ago and made positive impact.  Last season
was a disaster.  It was a disaster for most players on the team and IMO,
the Coach, I think we could all agree.

Anderson started the season out of condition as did all the players
except 2-3.

He is/was going through a (by all reports) a nasty divorce which is
quite mentally debilitating.  There is very little positive personal
improvement while entangled in this country's legal system dealing with
judges, lawyers and court personal who all have their own agenda.  Which
typically is based on only their own particular need. (This is a
sweeping statement not meant to malign any individual on this list.  How
bad could "you" be if you bleed Green?)

I think that Anderson simply coasted this past season.  As did many of
the players. The designated vs. earned, team leader was anything but,
until the end of the season.  The Rook was good until the injury, but
nobody played well consistently through out the season. (Maybe Barros
did)
I personally thought they were poorly coached as well.

I still think there was a lot of discontent between the players because
of poor shot selection/ball hogging by a number of players.  There
wasn't a common team cohesiveness throughout the season.

There appeared to me, many times, that the players just did their own
thing because they didn't like what the other players were doing, or not
doing.  As in "Well I may as well shoot it, that player just missed his
last 3 shots and wouldn't pass it to me when I was open."

This style of play has to stop.  With a focused Anderson and teammates
that are in shape and where they need to be on the floor, when their
supposed to be and rotating as their supposed to we'll see a team of
skilled players winning the games they should and looking like they
deserve to be playing NBA ball in the ones they lose.

This can be an exciting team to watch.  Anderson didn't forget how to
play point, his mind was on his divorce and "hey no one else was trying
hard" (My qoutes).  With him and his teammates in playing shape,
mentally and physically, I think we'll see the Anderson from those
couple months 2 seasons ago (hopefully minus the injury).

I wouldn't object to starting the season with this same team if they all
come to play team basketball, together!

Anderson may not be an all star point for the rest of his career, but
neither will most anyone at point in the draft this year that we could
get without giving up all the "potential" players the team currently
has.  And anybody we could trade for at point isn't any less of a gamble
then Anderson or never was as good as he has shown he can be.  That
isn't to say we couldn't get an upgrade at the point, but at what
expense?

Now if even 1 player shows up out of shape or has not worked on their
free throws or whatever was needed to improve their game, I'd send them
home the first day of camp with instructions to call their agent and
find a trade the team would be interested in. Before they get "hurt" and
we have another PE on the team.  This year I wouldn't take any excuses
for anything less then full effort.  A bad pass, a poor shot I can live
with.  Lack of effort will get the whole team booed this coming season,
IMO.

Pitino has put the pressure on the players to win together with his
prediction of being in the playoff's this coming season.  Barring
injuries, if they don't, heads will roll.  If they do, it won't matter
who opts out as a free agent because they will be able to attract the
right replacements/trades.

I think Anderson gives a better shot at making the playoff's this year
then a rookie.  With the salary cap and luxury "tax" that P. Riley
referred to in an another post, a lot of teams will need to go younger
in the next couple years as our 22-25 year olds are hitting the
beginning of their prime.  The disgruntled veterans who were left out of
the big money sweepstakes will want to play for a ring.  The Celt's can
get a point of the future in the next 3 years.  The real question, IMO,
is the 4 of the future.

<Jim