Ranking the Minnesota Timberwolves’ sixth man candidates
By Will Eudy
2. Kyle Anderson
One of the Timberwolves’ newest free agent signings, Kyle Anderson comes to Minnesota from Memphis to replace lost wing production. He’s had a very successful eight-year career, and I believe he’s going to gel wonderfully with the rest of the Wolves’ bench.
During his time with the Spurs and Grizzlies, Anderson played a valuable role as a big wing playmaker with a high basketball IQ and special physical tools. He’s not the fastest player, hence his “Slo-Mo” nickname, but what he lacks in burst he more than makes up for with pure skill.
Playing at a controlled, methodical tempo, Anderson is an excellent passer, ranking in the 86th percentile for assist percentage and the 93rd percentile for assist to usage ratio last season, per Cleaning The Glass. Simply put, he’s going to create more opportunities for his teammates than most any other player.
Couple his playmaking skill with his length and knack for getting steals, and you’ve got a very unique and effective two-way player on your hands. Just a couple seasons ago, Anderson had the best campaign of his career in Memphis, putting up career-high averages nearly across the board. If he can replicate some of that magic, he’s an excellent candidate to be the Wolves’ sixth man.