New Warrior Anderson Adopts “Slow-Mo” Nickname and Unique Style appeared first on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Kyle Anderson has perhaps the most infamous nickname in the NBA. In a league defined by movement and athleticism, the new Warriors member is truly Mr. Slow Motion.
Or “slow motion” for short.
“Sometimes it feels like I’m moving fast,” Anderson said Monday during his introductory press conference at Chase Center, “but then I watch the tape and I’m like…”
“When I look at guys like Nikola[Jokic]and Luka Doncic, I think, ‘Can I move like that?’ And then my teammates say, ‘You’re moving slower.'”
He’s not wrong: Anderson tends to move cautiously around the court, like a barefoot man navigating a strange room in the dark, but he usually finds a doorknob. Or the ring. Or an open teammate.
Anderson, 30, is happy to embrace the nickname, and the relatively relaxed pace at which he’s played over his 10 seasons in the league and with three different teams hasn’t hindered his job hunt.
“It’s actually part of my style of play,” Anderson said. “I guess it’s a little bit of cheating. It’s part of my game to change speeds. A little bit of finesse. It’s always worked well for me.”
“They always tell me it won’t work, but it’s working, so I just keep going with it.”
Anderson’s versatility has kept him in the league: his 6-foot-8 frame and 7-foot-3 wingspan allow him to play solid defense and he can play literally any role on the offensive end, from point guard to center.
“I’m a really unselfish player, a pass-oriented player,” he said, “I’m really good at getting my teammates involved and seeing the court. I compete defensively. I do my best. I think I’m a pretty good rebounder. I’m a guy that can get rebounds and start the break and pass forward or make plays in the frontcourt.”
The Warriors were attracted to Anderson’s versatility: He’s a point forward one possession, a power forward the next and a shooting guard who can shoot 3-pointers from the corner.
Still, Anderson’s dribbling is mesmerizing to watch, he has a touch of Doncic in the way he plays at his own pace regardless of what the other nine players are doing, and somehow, he makes it work.
He credits that to his father, also named Kyle.
“My dad always made me watch point guard,” Anderson said. “I grew up watching Jason Kidd play for the New Jersey Nets. (My dad) groomed me to be a point guard. I just happened to be 6-foot-8. I was able to keep the guard skills, the ball-handling skills, the passing ability. It’s always been there for me. That’s who I am as a player.”
Anderson has played in 653 NBA games, 304 as a starter, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from 3-point range over the past two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from 3-point range over the past two seasons.
He is positioned as a solid rotation player, often filling in for Draymond Green.
They play at different speeds, but Anderson is proof that speed, while important, isn’t as important as skill.
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