Anderson taking it slow, and that's OK

LAS VEGAS — For the better part of the week, fans packed UNLV's Cox Pavilion to get a glimpse of Cleveland rookie Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 pick in last month's draft.

They flocked to see Milwaukee's Jabari Parker, the No. 2 pick, whose build and offensive game recalls a young Carmelo Anthony.

Basketball crazies here quickly came to crush on Utah's Dante Exum, an Australian mystery man who won over standing-room only crowds with a blend of size, athleticism and vision.

Even Chicago's Doug McDermott had his day, throwing in 31 points against Denver early in Summer League competition.

As for the Spurs' top rookie? Kyle Anderson has turned heads in Las Vegas, too. If you know which heads to ask.

“If you look at a box score, most of the time, you're going to look at scoring,” Spurs assistant coach Ime Udoka said. “He's not going to be a huge scorer every night.

“As long as he's making the right play, we're happy with that.”

There are reasons Anderson, selected 30th overall, fell to the last pick of the first round. These have been on display through the Spurs' first four games at Summer League.

Anderson, 20, is not exactly fleet afoot. He can barely jump over a small-town phone book. His defense is suspect.

There are also reasons the Spurs were eager to snap up Anderson, and these have been on display as well.

“Guys that like to pass, guys that know how to play, guys who are slow and can't jump, they fit pretty good in San Antonio,” general manager R.C. Buford said.

A 6-foot-8 point-forward, Anderson turned in his best outing of Summer League on Wednesday with 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting in a 100-71 demolition of the Bucks.

Parker, the more highly touted first-round rookie on the floor at Thomas & Mack Center, had 16 points and bulled his way to the free-throw line for 13 attempts.

In a way, Anderson's skill set isn't built for a Summer League showcase. His game is subtle, and in Las Vegas, they don't do subtle.

The Spurs view Anderson's inaugural Summer League merely as the first step in a developmental process that will continue with individual workouts back in San Antonio, leading into training camp in October and the preseason.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

“It's a learning opportunity for us and for him,” Buford said from the bleachers at Thomas & Mack. “We've got a lot to learn. He's got an unusual skill set. It's going to cause us to be purposeful in how we play with him, how we use him and how we help him.”

Spurs coaches have already been impressed with Anderson's feel for the game and craftiness with the ball. As one observer in Las Vegas described him, Anderson is the 20-year-old version of the 50-year-old plugger at the YMCA.

“The main goal is to get better on the defensive end,” said Anderson, in a statement that is after coach Gregg Popovich's heart.

“Get out there, keep making mistakes, and see what I can learn from.”

Before Wednesday's breakout against the Bucks, Anderson still appeared to be looking for his Summer League footing.

He shot 36.4 percent from the field in the Spurs' first three games and did not make a 3-pointer until hitting 2 of 4 against Milwaukee.

Occasionally, Anderson took contested jumpers that didn't quite fit into the Spurs' “good-to-great” philosophy of shot selection.

Buford didn't expect Anderson to be a sudden star in Summer League.

“He'll get a lot of opportunity to learn,” Buford said, “but the skill set and the understanding of the game is clear.”

Fans don't flock to Summer League to watch rookies out-think the opposition. Nobody is plunking down $25 a session to count Anderson's hockey assists.

But Spurs staffers are paying attention. So far, they like what they see.

“We can see from the get-go what kind of player he is,” Udoka said. “The things that will work well with what we do, that's what we're looking at more so than scoring or assists.

“You're playing with a group of guys that don't know each other very well. If he makes the right pass and they miss, we're not mad at that. He's doing the right thing for the most part.”

jmcdonald@

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Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN