Justin Anderson is only coming into the third year of his young NBA career, but the Virginia native has seen the majority of his playing time with the Philadelphia 76ers, who have given him over 20 minutes per game in his short time with the team.
The lefty shooting guard believes this potential can equate into more than just a successful campaign.
“The coaching staff believes in me as a shooter,” Anderson; a 29 percent career three-point shooter, told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. “I also believe that I’m a Top-10 defender in this league. I have that confidence in myself. I want to take over defensively and have that reputation and get that respect.”
“Like I said before, I want to be a major piece of this puzzle. We all look at teams like Golden State and Cleveland, and those teams need two-way players and glue guys to be that effective. Look at a guy like Andre Iguodala and just how important he is to the Warriors.”
Steven M. Falk/Philadelphia Inquirer
Anderson recognizes that with the myriad of young talent drafted within the system, he'll likely have to carve a niche with the team — noting he can grow into a role of a defensive enforcer at 6-foot-6 and a sturdy 230 pounds.
“Coach Brown sent me an article written by Shane Battiercalled “Elite Glue Guys 101” that was really good. That’s what I want to be,” said Anderson. “I’ll be that guy who knows where to be on the court at all times. I’ll be that guy who dives for the loose ball. I’ll be that guy who guards whichever player is hot. I’ll be that guy who can space the floor and knock down open threes. I’ll be that guy who pushes the ball and gets someone the easy transition basket.”
The 23-year-old will likely see minutes under Ben Simmons and Robert Covington, with the capability to become a guard/forward combo if he can manage to stretch defenses enough to respect him.
About the Author
Bruno Manrique is a former associate editor at ClutchPoints, primarily covering the NBA. More about Bruno Manrique
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