How does Kyle Anderson fit in with the Minnesota Timberwolves?

Mid-range savant

This clip shows the type of athletic burst Anderson has, the craftiness he plays with, and the reason he’s a fan favorite on NBA Twitter.

Anderson loves to operate in the mid-range area of the floor. He isn’t the most athletic player (hence his nickname) so beating defenders with crafty moves and using his size is how he gets his shots off. Last season was a down shooting year from the mid-range, but he shot 51 percent in 2020-21. That’s an absurd rate ranking in the 95th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass (subscription required).

Throughout his career, Anderson has ranked in at least the 80th percentile five out of his eight seasons shooting from the mid-range. I’m assuming last season was a one-off and Anderson will find his elite mid-range stroke again. His crafty slow pace is sensational; no one has been able to speed him up.

His slow pace unironically freezes defenders, and he looks to attack as soon as their feet get flat-footed. Watch out for his left-hand in-and-out dribble combinations next year (it will be hard to miss). His spin-move after this combination usually leads to good things. After the spin, he feels out defenders. Keeping defenders trapped on his hip, Anderson scans the floor looking to make the right basketball play.

He uses hesitation moves and head-fakes after his in-and-out dribble set up as well. Again, even though he’s moving at a slow pace compared to the average NBA athlete, Anderson gets defenders to fall for his fakes and hesitations repeatedly.