Trae’s point man
Former NYC star Anderson has advice for Oklahoma’s Young
THE HYPE, the criticism, the rise, the downfall — Kenny Anderson experienced it all during his transition from teenaged phenomenon to NBA point guard.
So when it comes to Trae Young, Anderson can relate — and offer some unique perspective on navigating the potential pitfalls.
“They’re going to talk about all your flaws now that you made that jump into the NBA,” Anderson told the Daily News. “So he’s got to be head-strong, mentally strong.”
Anderson was a prodigious talent from LeFrak City in Queens who, in 1991, was drafted second overall by the Nets following two AllAmerican seasons at Georgia Tech. He dropped 50 points in an NCAA game, two more than Young’s career-high.
But Anderson was drafted into a tense situation in New Jersey where the old-school coach, Bill Fitch, had been lobbying GM Willis Reed to pick somebody else. Anderson played in just 64 games while averaging 17 minutes as a rookie, a disappointing development after so much hype. He made an AllStar appearance by his third season but never lived up to those early anointments.
With that in mind, Anderson said location is the most important thing for Young’s career in the upcoming draft. One of his recommended teams is the Phoenix Suns.
The other, believe it or not, is the Knicks.
“I just worry about where that kid goes and how they’re going to use him. He’s a volume shooter who needs the ball in his hands. Are they going to let him be a volume shooter the first few years in the league? Because that’s how you learn. But if he isn’t, he’s not going to look the same,” Anderson said. “He needs to go a team that doesn’t have an identity so he can be part of building the identity.”
The Knicks’ only identity is suffering and a longstanding hole at point guard, a position that, ironically, is known as NYC’s specialty in breeding — from Bob Cousy to Tiny Archibald to Pearl Washington to Kenny Smith to Rod Strickland to Anderson to Stephon Marbury.
But the hometown NBA team hasn’t had an All-Star at point guard since Mark Jackson in 1989, and it’s becoming increasingly clear they’ll be in the market for a new one this summer.
Emmanuel Mudiay’s trial has been a disaster and he was benched in the second half Friday night. Frank Ntilikina, the eighth overall pick last year, transitioned to shooting guard and Trey Burke is best served as a backup. The Knicks need a playmaker in the worst way and will certainly have to contemplate Young if he’s still on the board when they draft in three months.
“I think there’d be a lot of pressure on Trae in New York but it’d
KNICKS at WIZARDS
be great for him,” Anderson said. “They need a point guard with his talent. To bring that type of player to the Mecca, I think the fans and everything would be excited. He’s definitely think he’s going to have his rookie adjustments. But I think with his talent and the way the game is being played today, he could really get away with it. Because it’s not as physical. He can get anywhere on the court and you can’t touch him. If you touch him, he’s like a 90 percent free throw shooter. He could shoot... They love their point guards from New York City. They love us. They respect us. You get a lot of love but you get a lot of pressure. Coming in New York, being a top draft choice, they’re going to want to see his talent 19-55 19-54 21-52 22-51 22-51 23-50 32-40 .257 .260 .288 .306 .306 .315 -64% 0.5 56% 2.5 47% 3.5 34% 3.5 33% 4.5 22% right away. There’s a lot of pressure. If you ever deliver — they say pressure bust pipes. Or you can make diamonds out of it when you play extremely well and overcome all of that.”
Anderson had a lot to overcome in his 13-year NBA career, some of it related to being raised by a single mother in the projects. It’s a characteristic that differs from Young, whose father was — and remains — deeply involved in his life while raising him in the suburbs of Texas.
Another difference is that Anderson arrived during less lucrative times in the NBA and encountered resentment from veterans over his contract.
“There’s a lot more money being thrown around these days so everybody’s friendlier with each other,” Anderson said.
Anderson did share the critique that he’s undersized. He predicted Young, who is listed at 6-2 and 180 pounds, will face a harsh reality early in the NBA, even if the league’s physicality has diminished because of rules changes.
“I was about 175 pounds soaking wet, about 6-foot-2, so I had a similar frame to Trae,” Anderson said. “The strength factor was my big thing. Because you’re playing with grown men. I’m 20 playing against 26-year-olds, 28-year-olds, you’d be amazed how three or four years is so important to you.”
To Anderson, those years developing physically and mentally would be best served at a place where the ball can be in his hands, a place like New York that is still waiting for its savior at point guard.
“His father and mother is there and it seems like he’s well-rounded,” Anderson said. “He’s always been talked about like he wasn’t going to make it. He was always a small guy and not going to being able to make the league. So he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder. He has a helluva work ethic and if he stays like that — I still think this draft thing or this NBA team, if you go to the right team as a rookie who you surround yourself with makes a big difference.” 25% 20% 16% 10% 12% 6% .444 14.0 4% 1% *to Cavs; **to Sixers