Ryan Anderson is 6’10, 235 lbs, and is a sophomore at California. Ryan has a very good inside/outside game, with a polished offensive skill set. A tough player down low, he also is able to draw frontcourt players out to the perimeter and can match up against smaller quicker players. His adaptability to different match-ups is excellent. He is good at getting his shots off and has good consistent range out to twenty feet, with the ability to also knock down the three with decent consistency. Ryan does a good job at finding his position down low, and he has two effective go-to moves: the drop step, and the spin move.
He has a talent for creating his own shot, and has solid court vision and good passing skills that help create opportunities for his teammates. He is a good decision-maker and lets the game come to him. He shows great hustle on both ends of the floor. He is a good rebounder, especially on offense. Ryan lacks some strength, but it hasn’t hindered him yet. On defense he generally holds his own but struggles against athletic big men because he lacks athleticism and foot speed.
Ryan doesn’t go to the basket very hard and could certainly do with becoming more aggressive in that area. He lacks lateral quickness, but has shown great improvement. Overall I really like Ryan’s upside. He and DeVon Hardin work well together, forming an exciting partnership in the frontcourt. I think Ryan is the type of player who is willing to stay all four years, but if he continues to have good seasons and improves on his minor weaknesses, he has said that he would consider the possibility of leaving early to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA. His niche in the NBA will be as a face-up player. I see similarities between Ryan and Juwan Howard.
