The NBA Playoffs begin Saturday afternoon, and despite the fact that almost everyone thinks the Golden State Warriors will win the championship, anticipation is still up for some playoff basketball. If anyone is going to beat the Warriors in a series, many think that it would be the San Antonio Spurs, a team that beat them during the regular season and finished with 67 regular season wins.
The Spurs take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs starting Sunday night, and they enter as a healthy team. The playoffs are usually a time when coaches like to shorten their rotations, but Gregg Popovich isn't really planning to do that and Kyle Anderson should be a big beneficiary.
Anderson didn't have a huge role for the Spurs this season, but he did appear in 78 games and played 16 minutes per game. Typically, the second-year man out of UCLA starts when Kawhi Leonard is out and gives him a break off the bench every now and then when he is playing. Popovich sees no reason to change the plan up now, as he said, "I've played him all year I don't know why I'd change it now."
As a rookie last season, Anderson only played in 33 games and didn't have much of a role. The 22-year-old did not get off the bench at all during last year's thrilling seven-game series against the Clippers, but he felt like he was ready to contribute. This year, he is even more ready after having what he described as a good season for him, in which he matured.
Anderson was the Spurs' first round pick (30th overall) back in 2014, and they are very high on him as a player moving forward. Of course, because the roster is so deep and talented, they don't have many minutes to give him now, but he is still finding a way to make an impact when he is on the floor. The 6-foot-9 forward is a very good defender and is also extremely versatile, as he averaged 10.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per 36 minutes during the regular season.
Like the regular season, Anderson won't play a huge role throughout the playoffs, but he has earned his spot in the rotation and will continue to make an impact as long as the Spurs are alive. Anderson and the Spurs play at 8 p.m. Sunday night against the Grizzlies, a game in which they are favored by 15.5 points.
