In what should go down as one of the more underrated mysteries of the Golden State Warriors season, veteran forward Kyle Anderson was never able to find a footing in the Bay after signing a three-year, $27 million contract in free agency.
Anderson was initially viewed as a versatile role player who's defense, ball-handing and passing would fit like a glove in Steve Kerr's system, yet the 31-year-old struggled for opportunity before being shipped out in the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade prior to the deadline.
The Heat have already used Kyle Anderson more than the Warriors did
Anderson wound up averaging 5.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 36 games with the Warriors, having received multiple DNPs on a team simply batting to keep their head above .500. On one hand it was bizarre given Anderson had been such a huge contributor on a playoff team in the Minnesota Timberwolves over the previous two seasons, but on the other it also made sense given the logjam of non-shooting threats in the Golden State front court.
With Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware both providing some spacing, Anderson should get more opportunity on a Heat team that's also fighting for a playoff spot. His first two games with Miami following the trade were underwhelming, going scoreless over 10 minutes in his debut before receving a DNP two days later.
But in the final game before the All-Star break, Anderson was given the opportunity he'd been waiting for -- playing big minutes as a starter. With Adebayo, fellow former Warrior Andrew Wiggins and a host of other Heat players on the sidelines, Anderson played over 27 minutes as the starting power forward for Erik Spoelstra.
Not only were those minutes a season-high, but the former UCLA product also recorded a season-high in points (15) and rebounds (10). Anderson shot 6-of-10 from the floor, added three assists and was a game-high +13, but it wasn't enough as the Heat fell to the Dallas Mavericks 118-113.
It will now be interesting to see what Anderson's minutes look like moving forward, and whether this was a genuine indication of a significant role with Miami, or simply an aberration due to the length of their injury report.
Either way, Kerr and the Warriors were never able to get this sort of production out of Anderson, with the former first-round pick finding it difficult to carve out a role and maintain impact evidenced by ranking third-last in cumulative plus-minus prior to his departure from Golden State.