Swingman steps into critical role after many stops
Warriors forward Juan ToscanoAnderson felt uncomfortable at times this season about how big of a story line his sudden emergence had become.
Long accustomed to anonymity, he wondered if his higherprofile teammates would get the wrong idea after months of being asked about him. But Stephen Curry and Draymond Green hardly minded because, in their 21 years combined with the Warriors, they hadn’t seen such an overlooked player be such a natural fit for the team’s readandreact system.
After a halfdecade journey that included stops in Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela and Santa Cruz, ToscanoAnderson was waived three days before Golden State’s season opener, only to sign a twoway deal with the team shortly thereafter. It wasn’t long, however, before head coach Steve Kerr forgot about ToscanoAnderson’s contract status.
After injuries forced him into a regular rotation role in February, ToscanoAnderson began to make himself indispensable. His court vision, shooting efficiency, defensive versatility and hustle allowed Kerr to plug him into any sort of lineup. Though ToscanoAnderson is smaller than some guards at 6foot6, 209 pounds, he thrived as a backup power forward and center.
Thanks to allout effort and a high basketball IQ, he made life difficult on everyone from the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic to the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum. ToscanoAnderson’s defensive rating of 105.6 ranked second behind Kent Bazemore (104.6) among the Warriors’ rotation players.
On offense, ToscanoAnderson handled the cuts and screens that are essential to
Kerr’s system. His 2.8 assists per game were third on the team behind Green (8.9) and Curry (5.8).
Also, ToscanoAnderson led the Warriors in fieldgoal percentage at 57.9. Only Curry (42.1%) and Bazemore (40.8%) had a better 3point clip than his 40.2%.
By the time ToscanoAnderson suffered a concussion and required 35 stitches after saving a loose ball in an April 17 loss at Boston, Kerr considered him one of the Warriors’ most dependable players. Golden State outscored opponents by 3.8 points per 100 possessions with ToscanoAnderson on the floor — and was outscored by 0.6 of a point per 100 possessions with him on the bench.
It was a shrewd move, then, when the Warriors signed him to a twoyear minimum contract in midMay. ToscanoAnderson might have commanded much more money had he tested free agency this summer. But as an Oakland native who grew up idolizing Monta Ellis and Larry Hughes, ToscanoAnderson relishes the chance to play in his home market.
His biggest hope now? Continue to make his highlevel play a nightly expectation, which surely would allow him to be less of a story line.
Offseason outlook: For the first time, ToscanoAnderson won’t have to worry about where he’ll play next season. The Warriors anticipate him being the seventh or eighth man on the 202122 team.