Kyle Anderson's return to the Minnesota Timberwolves is exciting for fans. For a Wolves team that has lacked general bench depth and has struggled immensely in the non-Rudy Gobert minutes, Anderson has a clear path to earning minutes.
Right now, I'm penciling Anderson in as the team's ninth man, but I could see a world where he even slides into a role as the eighth man, or conversely, things might not work out, and he could be a pure depth piece.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Anderson played over 97 percent of his minutes as a forward during his last stint with the Timberwolves. However, in the two seasons since, Anderson has spent more time as a center. Notably, in his short time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Anderson spent 98 percent of his minutes as a center, and before that with the Utah Jazz, 49 percent of his minutes came playing center.
To me, this is the ideal role for Anderson to play upon his return to Minnesota.
Why playing Kyle Anderson as a backup center makes sense
There's no denying that the Wolves' defense without Rudy has been dreadful this season. Minnesota has a 108.6 defensive rating with Gobert on the court and a 121.1 DRTG without him. Another way to look at this is that the Wolves have what translates to the second-best defense with Gobert and the 28th-ranked defense without him.
The Wolves fared much better in the non-Rudy minutes with Anderson on the team two years ago. Of course, this isn't all due to him, but it's worth noting they had a 108.3 DRTG with Anderson and without Gobert two years ago.
Again, it's not fair to expect that Anderson will single-handedly solve this issue. Nevertheless, he will certainly help, and this is likely why he'll earn some minutes.
Anderson isn't typically thought of as a center, but for this Wolves' team, that's his best role, and he has always been extremely versatile. Whether Anderson is playing with Naz Reid or Julius Randle, his presence will allow one of them to play their natural defensive role as a power forward. The biggest problem in the non-Rudy minutes has been that Reid and Randle aren't rim protectors.
You might not think of Anderson as a rim protector, and in the traditional sense, he's not. However, he's certainly an upgrade over Reid and Randle in this department. Notably, Anderson ranks in the 84th percentile for rim deterrence per Basketball Index. Furthermore, he ranks in the 99th percentile for deflections per 100 possessions according to Databallr.
Granted, some of his other advanced stats are cause for concern, and it's possible he doesn't help with the non-Rudy minutes, but it's certainly worth a shot.
Offensively, Anderson can be used as a high-post playmaker, which negates some of his shooting concerns. Anderson's playmaking chops give the Wolves' offense a new element and could allow him to play over Joan Beringer despite the rookie's superior rim protection.
By all accounts, using Anderson as a backup center is the best role for him and the team. It's unclear just how much the addition of Anderson will help the Timberwolves, but there's a solid chance this move pays dividends, and signing him to round out the roster was well worth it.