Despite the playoffs only just getting underway, teams are already planning for the upcoming free agency period during the off-season.
Regardless of whether they had a deep post-season run or failed to make the playoffs at all, every team will have targets they wish to pursue once players begin to hit the market later this year. For the Boston Celtics, another wing who can guard the perimeter, score from all three levels, and facilitate just a little, will be the ideal addition to their bench unit.
Luckily, despite the Celtics not projecting to be a cap space team, there is a wing that fits the bill, and they’re going to be a free agent in the coming weeks. Kyle Anderson has been with the Memphis Grizzlies for the last four seasons, and has been a vital cog in their rotation as both a starter and bench player during his time in Tennessee.
And, according to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, the 28-year-old wing would be the ideal fit in Boston, and with the UCLA product becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Celtics might be able to pull off a coup by acquiring him.
“The 28-year-old’s skill set is quietly loaded. Other than shooting threes at a high volume or sprinting at top speeds, he pretty much does it all. He can defend anywhere along the frontcourt, create offense in a pinch, splash spot-up threes (35.1 percent since the start of last season), and even soak up a smattering of minutes as a small-ball center. This is also Anderson’s fifth playoff trip in eight NBA seasons, so his experience and basketball IQ should grease the gears for a smooth transition,” Buckley wrote.
Anderson Complements Boston’s Stars
When Derrick White was acquired at the trade deadline Brad Stevens noted how his fit as a “connector” is what made him so valuable to the Celtics moving forwards. White isn’t elite at any specific aspect of the game, but his wide-ranging skillset and propensity to play the game the right way make him a seamless fit with Ime Udoka’s team.
Anderson is cut from a similar cloth, allowing the game to come to him and making his moves based on what the defense is giving out. However, the man they call “Slo-Mo” is more than just a connector. Anderson can be a genuine difference-maker, is deceptively athletic, and can score across all three levels of the court, so for a Celtics team who needs to add some firepower to their bench unit, there isn’t a better fit than the Grizzlies wing.
According to Cleaning The Glass, the New Jersey native has been a straight bucket from the mid-range his entire career, especially within the floater area which is often defined as four-to-fourteen feet away from the basket, while he’s also a respectable rim finisher and converts an average of 33.4% of his perimeter shots.
Anderson’s three-point threat will be needed to give him opportunities to attack closeouts, but with Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard coming off the bench, the Celtics won’t be too concerned about his low conversion rate from behind the arc. Rather, they will be encouraged by his ability to create offense for himself and others off the drive and to punish teams who allow their big man to drop in pick-and-roll coverage.
Boston is in The Heat of Battle
While keeping an eye on how things develop between Anderson and the Grizzlies is the prudent thing to do, Boston still has a business to handle in the current post-season. The Celtics have won their first two games against the Brooklyn Nets and are now headed to New York for games three and four.
Should the Celtics split their next two games, they will be headed back to Boston with a commanding three-one series lead and will look to be good money for progressing to the second round. Of course, things aren’t always that simple, and Boston will need to be at the top of their game if they wish to take revenge for their exit from last year’s post-season at the hands of the Nets.
Funnily enough, Boston’s bench unit came up big in game two, although it’s fair to assume that if Anderson was also in the team’s rotation, everybody would feel far more confident of a successful opening round. And it’s that confidence that should make you aware of how valuable the eight-year veteran would be to the Celtics in the coming seasons should they be able to entice him to the TD Garden – and find the cap room to pay him what he’s worth.
Still, Anderson is a Grizzlies player and is embroiled in his own playoff series in the Western Conference, so the Celtics will need to make do with what they’ve got. Luckily, Stevens has done a fantastic job of rebuilding the team’s rotation, and they look good value to progress deeper into the playoffs, which means fans are already starting to dream of potential possibilities.
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