Atlanta Hawks: 2 Goals for Justin Anderson in 2018-19

As we move ever closer to the preseason, let’s take a look at the goals for each player on the Atlanta Hawks as we head into the 2018-19 regular season.

After the flurry of moves the Atlanta Hawks made this offseason, from the selection of Trae Young to the trade of Dennis Schröder, one player that might have gotten overlooked this summer is the acquisition of Justin Anderson.

An add-on piece in the Schröder trade, Anderson is a former first-round draft pick out of college basketball powerhouse Virginia. He plays small forward and has various flashes of skill throughout his 5-year career in the NBA.

One of the most underrated/valuable commodities in the NBA is former first-rounders who haven’t lived up to their billing yet in the NBA. Yes, Anderson probably doesn’t have the talent of a high lottery pick but there was a reason he was taken at #21 overall by the Dallas Mavericks. In order for Justin Anderson to prove himself as a valuable piece to the Atlanta Hawks, he needs to hit some important goals this season.

Goal #1: Play in over 60 games and over 18 minutes per game

Luckily for Anderson, the Atlanta Hawks do not have realistic title hopes for the upcoming season and therefore minutes are there for the taking by the young unproven players. Guys like Trae Young, Taurean Prince, and John Collins are locked in at starting spots and are expected to get heavy minutes, but everyone else on the roster (barring maybe Kent Bazemore) is going to get good long looks on an NBA court.

Anderson has had problems just being on the court during his NBA career; Anderson has played over 60 games in a season just once and has never averaged more than 16 minutes a game. Now we’re not looking for a starting-level player but being available and productive when he’s out there on the floor is a great first step.

Goal #2: Show the Atlanta Hawks something new

Now, this is an obvious goal for almost every single player in the NBA, but Anderson needs to show what he can be for the Atlanta Hawks going forward. He’s a below average shooter for his position (despite that stirring performance above), never averaging more than 3 attempts a game from 3 and never shooting better than 33% on those attempts.

He has decent size and an athletic frame, standing 6′ 6″ and weighing 228 lbs, but hasn’t shown the ability to defend at an elite rate. Anderson needs to find his niche this season. Whether it’s playing in a super small lineup as a 4 with Collins at the 5 or being a nice 3-and-D wing that can come off the bench and soak up good minutes, this year will likely be a make-or-break one for Anderson.

If he can find an identity this season and be available, Justin Anderson could become a sneaky valuable piece for the Atlanta Hawks.