Draft Profile: Justin Anderson

Opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the author(s) and don't represent the opinions of the Celtics front office.

By Taylor C. Snow

Justin Anderson opened eyes at the 2015 Draft Combine when he posted a 43-inch vertical leap. Only one athlete at the Combine jumped higher: Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton with a 44-incher. Anderson also had the highest standing vertical (38 inches) and tied for the fourth-fastest shuttle run time (2.88 seconds).

Justin Anderson is one of the top two wing defenders in this year’s Draft, right alongside Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. He’s built like a truck, with great strength both in his upper and lower body. He’s a heck of an athlete and notched a 43-inch vertical at the Combine. He has every tool a player needs to be an elite wing defender in the NBA: size, length, lateral quickness, anticipation, quick feet, instincts. He’s also committed at that end. He’s plugged in on every possession, from start to finish. He could come in and make an impact defending NBA wings right now. Anderson is not nearly as polished at the offensive end, though he has improved drastically since his arrival at Virginia. He’s a lefty whose release and mechanics are night and day – in a good way – to what they were as recently as a year ago. I would like to see him square his feet and shoulders up to the basket, and to land where he takes off from. He does not do any of that at the moment. Anderson has a solid arc on his shot and nailed 3-pointers at a high rate this past season. He’s a much better set shooter than he is off of the move. I’m concerned a bit about his ability to create offense in the NBA. Although he is a great athlete, he doesn’t show speed and/or elusiveness off of the dribble. He also kills his dribble-drive too early for a shot or pass attempt. He’ll eventually learn to keep that dribble live and use his strength and leaping ability to his advantage around the rack.

By Taylor C. Snow

Anderson was born on Nov. 19, 1993 in Montross, Va. to Edward and Kim Anderson. His older brother Edward III played Division III basketball at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. Anderson played four years of high school hoops at Montrose Christian School (Rockville, Md.), which has produced four NBA players, including Kevin Durant. As a high school senior he averaged 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. Montrose won the ESPN National High School Invitational and Anderson was named Maryland’s Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year. The guard initially committed to Maryland, but following the retirement of coach Gary Williams, he decommitted and enrolled at Virgina. As a freshman, Anderson made 17 starts and averaged 7.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG. His best performance came during his last game of the season: an NIT quarterfinals loss during which he tallied 24 points, six rebounds, five blocks and three steals. Anderson’s numbers dropped off a bit his sophomore year – only making five starts – but he claimed a starting spot this past season, during which he averaged 12.2 PPG. He missed the final eight games of the regular season due to a fractured pinky and an appendectomy, but returned in time for the playoffs. However, Anderson had a difficult time reacclimating himself in the postseason; he scored zero points in Virginia’s two conference tournament games and tallied eight in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, as the 1-seeded Cavaliers were upset by Michigan State. Anderson declared for the NBA Draft on April 13.