Christian

Anderson Jr.

After shooting 2-of-11 from the field in his summer debut on Thursday, Anderson was better on Saturday. The 18th overall pick in last month’s draft, he shot 2-of-8 from beyond the arc and 5-of-14 overall. More concerning than the shooting was Anderson not recording an assist, but the fact that Sion James and Liam McNeeley also took on playmaking responsibilities was a factor. With the Hornets re-signing Coby White, Anderson will have time to develop, so fantasy managers should not be too concerned by his slow start in Las Vegas.

Anderson was one of the best shooting prospects in the draft, and he’ll be fine, but it was a disappointing first summer league game for him. He missed all five of his shots from deep and didn’t do much as a facilitator. It was only one exhibition, but Anderson isn’t going to be the LaMelo Ball replacement in his first season. He’ll likely play a role off the bench as a rookie and should be better moving forward this summer.

Anderson is considered by many to be the best perimeter shooter in this draft class. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard was one of the most improved players in college basketball this season, averaging 18.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.3 three-pointers in 38.4 minutes. Anderson shot 47.2 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from three and 80.5 percent from the foul line. While Anderson needs to get better defensively, his offensive tools make him incredibly valuable. The Hornets needed another perimeter shooter, especially if they don’t re-sign Coby White, and selecting Anderson addresses that issue. In addition to being able to provide playmaking when LaMelo Ball sits, he can also play off the Hornets’ star point guard because of his catch-and-shoot ability.