Suns veteran Anderson finding peace with role
Practice was over.
Most of his teammates had left the court on a cold Sunday afternoon at Chesapeake Energy Arena getting ready to return to the hotel, but Ryan Anderson was just getting started.
Playing three-on-three with Suns teammates Troy Daniels and Dragan Bender, Anderson worked up a good sweat. Playing less minutes of late, he looked to not only stay sharp, but to inspire his teammates to keep working.
“When I was first starting off like some of these guys,” Anderson said, “I was ready when my name was called, and I performed and that’s what led to me getting more minutes and I was eventually starting. Those are moments that coaches really notice. If I can bring that out of a guy, I can help work after practice, that’s more important than me playing 10 minutes in a game.”
Anderson came to Phoenix as part of an offseason trade with Houston looking to contribute in any way he could to change the culture of the Suns.
He’s gone from starting to not playing, but Anderson has tried to remain a positive influence in the locker room, particularly with the younger players.
“I’m good,” said Anderson, who is averaging just 4.5 points on a chilly 32.1 percent shooting (7-of-31 from 3) going into Saturday’s game against Oklahoma City at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
“I feel good. I’m working hard in practice trying to get the guys better. We have a lot of young talent on this team and guys that need more experience. The more time they get on the court, the better they’re going to be.”
With Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, TJ Warren and Mikal Bridges giving Phoenix a talented young core, Anderson, 30, said he realizes he’s not a “five-year plan” for Phoenix moving forward.
Anderson has embraced the role of being a team leader and a positive force in the locker room.
“I’m willing to take a step back and elevate somebody else because it could be their opportunity,” Anderson said. “I’ve had my opportunities. I’ve had a lot of success in this league. There’s a time you kind of take a step back and realize what’s better for the group, what’s better for the team.”
Anderson remembers being a rookie for New Orleans and watching veteran teammate Eduardo Najera going all out in practice. He recently found an old quote from Najera saying he wanted to make a group of young players better, including Anderson.
A decade later, Anderson is Phoenix’s Najera.
“Right now, it’s elevating these young guys. It’s not about Ryan Anderson,” he said.
Anderson entered his 11th NBA season as a starter in the opener against Dallas, but the power forward couldn’t find the touch early. Anderson shot a woeful 11-of-31 (35.4 percent) from the field in his first five starts, connecting on just 4 of 18 3-pointers.
After playing just 22 minutes in a 21point loss at Memphis, Anderson came out and said, “I can’t control what the coach does” when asked about his play.
“I can’t control my opportunities,” Anderson continued. “I can’t control my minutes. The last thing I want to be is a negative influence.”
Anderson started the next game, scoring a season-high 15 points at Oklahoma City, but Phoenix had dropped a fifth straight game.
So Suns coach Igor Kokoskov started Warren, who had been playing very well off the bench, in place of Anderson, in the next game against San Antonio.
Two games later, Anderson returned to the starting lineup after back spasms kept Warren out, but he only scored five and zero points, respectively, in starts against Memphis and Brooklyn.
Warren went 0-for-5 against Brooklyn, still looking stiff from the back spasms, but scored a total of 102 points in his next four games to reestablish himself as one of the Suns’ best players.
“He knows how to score the basketball and this year, he’s proved that in so many ways,” Anderson said. “When he’s aggressive, it makes this team better. His ability to shoot the ball, I didn’t know he could shoot the ball this well.”
Spending the offseason working on the form of his jumper and 3-point shot, Warren has gone from shooting 22.2 percent from 3 last season to 46 percent going into Saturday’s game.
“He’s just playing phenomenally right now,” Anderson continued. “It’s fun to watch. Just encourage him and continue to get him in a good place because he makes this team better.”
Anderson was still playing, but he didn’t see action in Phoenix’s two-game road trip against New Orleans and Oklahoma City last week. He played seven minutes of mop-up duty in Wednesday’s 20-point win over San Antonio as his friend and fellow veteran Trevor Ariza missed the game due to personal reasons.