There were plenty of surprises emanating from the Golden State Warriors matchup with the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center on Sunday night.
Luka Doncic nearly had a 30-point triple-double by half-time, and the Warriors lost by double digits despite hitting 27 threes including an equal NBA record 18 in the first-half. But the surprises weren't limited to those that were on the floor, but also extended to those off it.
As the first-half progressed it became apparent that Steve Kerr, for the first time this season, wasn't going to turn to Kyle Anderson. The veteran forward's DNP became even more notable given Golden State had no answer for the Dallas offense, all the while one of their best and most versatile defenders remained stapled to the bench.
The Warriors only have one option if Kyle Anderson is getting DNPs
The Warriors were powerless to stop Luka Doncic who was able to shoot or pass over most defenders on his way to a huge 45 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. Was it not worth giving Anderson a period to see if he could curtail the Slovenian's influence?
Perhaps Anderson's offensive limitations have become too much, but even then Kerr found 12 minutes for Gary Payton II on Sunday despite the veteran guard having shot a paltry 13.8% from 3-point range this season.
It's not as if the DNP was completely random either, with Anderson having appeared in just 12 total minutes over the last two games. It did baffle a lot of fans though, particularly given this is someone who averaged over 22 minutes per game for a Minnesota Timberwolves team who reached the Western Conference Finals last season.
The 31-year-old is averaging 14.2 minutes per game with Golden State -- the lowest of any season since his rookie year. It's been a rather strange early season outcome when you consider the Warriors were committed enough to give Anderson a three-year, $27.7 million contract in the offseason, not to mention the team actually needs the size and ball-handling elements that he brings.
If Anderson is going to be getting DNPs or a very sparing part of the rotation, then Golden State have no other option than to explore utilizing his $8.8 million salary in a trade. There's no point having a veteran player making that money if they're not getting the opportunity to actually make an on-court impact.
Ideally Anderson would return to the rotation and become the 15-20 minute per game player the Warriors would have envisioned when they signed him. But after officially acquiring Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, this is an active team who are looking to make more moves before the February 6 deadline.
All of a sudden Anderson may become important in trying to match salaries, or even as an asset to contending teams who could utilize his skillset in a far more useful way than Kerr currently is.