Leading up to the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27, Pelicans.com will provide a player-by-player examination of the New Orleans Pelicans, with input from various sources. We’ll review the 2012-13 campaign of each New Orleans player who appeared in at least half of the team’s games, while also looking ahead to the inaugural 2013-14 Pelicans season. Pelicans.com continues its offseason updates by profiling Ryan Anderson, one of the most valuable acquisitions during the summer of 2012 by any NBA team:
Key averages: 16.2 points, 6.4 rebounds in 81 games (22 starts)
WHAT HAPPENED
Acquired in a sign-and-trade with Orlando, the underrated Anderson was expected to provide scoring punch, rebounding prowess and experience – with five pro seasons now under his belt, he’s a relative geezer on one of the league’s youngest teams. He got more than he probably bargained for early in 2012-13, when team leading scorer Eric Gordon and No. 1 overall draft pick Anthony Davis were sidelined by injuries. Anderson was forced to shoulder a gigantic offensive load in November, but responded with one of the best stretches of his NBA career. Between Nov. 16-26, for example, the University of California product was a ridiculous 31-for-53 (58.5 percent) from three-point range. Unfortunately, a shorthanded squad generated only one victory during that seven-game span. Anderson eventually settled primarily into a sixth-man role and was one of the NBA’s premier reserves over his 59 appearances off the bench. En route to finishing with New Orleans’ second-best scoring average, Anderson displayed more offensive versatility than in previous years, including scoring off dribble moves and converting shots around the rim on crafty reverse layups. He even excited his New Orleans teammates during the stretch run of the season with a few athletic dunks. The amiable Sacramento area native is under contract for the next three seasons and is a vital component of the franchise’s new Pelicans era.
BEST GAME
Even though it came in a heartbreaking 111-108 overtime defeat at Phoenix, it’s impossible to not give the nod in this category to Anderson’s Nov. 23 performance against the Suns. On the evening after Thanksgiving, Anderson established career highs in points (34) and three-pointers (he went 8-for-13 from beyond the arc). At times, Anderson appeared to barely have the ball in his hands before launching a deep trey – that’s how confident he was during a scorching-hot road trip. For good measure, the 6-foot-10, 240-pounder also registered 11 rebounds, two steals and a block in Phoenix. It was the first 30-10 game of his NBA career.