<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Anderson progressing: Guard Derek Anderson, who has played three minutes this season because of a herniated disc in his lower back, practiced at full speed Saturday for the first time since going on the injured list in early November. Anderson said he is targeting Thursday's game at Minnesota for his return. "It felt pretty good today, but now it's just seeing how my back reacts," Anderson said. "Hopefully, it stays strong and keeps getting better." Cheeks said he was encouraged by what he saw from Anderson on Saturday, but the coach said he remains skeptical on his return until he sees how Anderson's back reacts. "He looked good," Cheeks said. "But the test will be (today) when he practices back to back. He did look good, though." The return of Anderson, who started 76 games last season, has been a much anticipated date for Blazers general manager John Nash, who said he wants to see the Blazers at full strength before making any major moves. And Cheeks has been itching to get another player to bolster his sparse bench. </div> Full Story
As a starter, DA is a solid 15ppg guy. He will better fill the void left by Bonzi's departure than Wesley Person is doing. Also, DA can resolve a lot of the on court anger issues taking place between players. He'll contribute to the team both as a player and mentor/mediator.
