<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Michigan State swingman Alan Anderson stood out like a rose in a bed of cactuses at the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago. The tendency for most prospects who are trying to improve their standing in the draft is to showcase their offensive skills. Anderson took a different tact. His game plan was to show that he could play all phases of the game, including defense. "My mind-set was just to play hard in every aspect of the game, whether it's shooting, rebounding or getting back on defense," he told USA Today. Anderson's strategy worked. He was one of most impressive players at the four-day camp, which ended Friday. He was pegged to be picked somewhere in the second round at the start of camp. But after 2 days, scouts say he is moving up. "He helped himself tremendously, because he's doing the things people like to see in this setting," Indiana Pacers director of player personnel Mel Daniels says. "He's scoring, he's defending and he's making good decisions. "In this setting people don't play defense. He's concentrating on defense to show that he can play it. That's a smart thing to do." </div> Source
As I said in another thread, he deserves more respect after leading the camp in scoring and steals. He has got a decent NBA body at 6-6, 220 lbs., and he can effectively play any position from Point Guard to Power Forward (although he's primarily a Shooting Guard). He also averaged 13.2 ppg and 5.6 rpg on 56% FG shooting and 88% FT shooting (#1 in the Big Ten) on what was probably the most crowded team in the NCAA. So why is this strong, athletic, tough, hardworking Shooting Guard not on scout's draft boards over players like Jawad Williams? Hopefully his performances can make him an early second round pick.
