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It’s been a long grind for Wizards’ Alan Anderson, but he’s back and contributing It’s been a long grind for Wizards’ Alan Anderson, but he’s back and contributing
(about 3 hours later)
CLEVELAND — The cramped visitors’ locker room at Target Center was bustling late Wednesday night. The Washington Wizards had just won their fourth straight game to rise to .500 and pull within a half-game of a playoff spot with a six-point win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The atmosphere was lively. Jokes and laughs were abundant. CLEVELAND — The cramped visitors locker room at Target Center was bustling late Wednesday night. The Washington Wizards had just won their fourth straight game to rise to .500 and pull within a half-game of a playoff spot with a six-point win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The atmosphere was lively. Jokes and laughs were abundant.
Amid the buzz, Alan Anderson was sitting at his locker. He was one the Wizards’ standouts in the victory, netting 18 points in 21 minutes off the bench in his hometown of Minneapolis, but he was grounded for the time being. He had blue sweatpants rolled up past his knees. His left foot was submerged in a large green tub filled with ice water. This is his postgame routine for now. Amid the buzz, Alan Anderson was sitting at his locker. He was one of the Wizards’ standouts in the victory, netting 18 points in 21 minutes off the bench in his home town of Minneapolis, but he was grounded for the time being. He had blue sweatpants rolled up past his knees. His left foot was submerged in a large green tub filled with ice water. This is his postgame routine for now.
“It’s be a long, long journey with trying to get this ankle right,” Anderson said. “But it feels much better to contribute to help us win.” “It’s been a long, long journey with trying to get this ankle right,” Anderson said. “But it feels much better to contribute to help us win.”
Anderson, 33, went more than nine months without playing in a basketball game before he made his season debut last Wednesday in Washington’s loss the Chicago Bulls. The wait wasn’t supposed to be that long. [Wittman coaches with memories of Saunders]
Last May, he underwent a routine procedure on his left ankle to remove bone spurs. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Wizards in July to provide a defensive presence on the wing and some veteran leadership. Both sides assumed he would be ready for the start of the season. But when the 6-foot-6 swingman reported to training camp, discomfort persisted and he had a second surgery to remove more bone fragments on Oct. 13. Anderson, 33, went more than nine months without playing in a basketball game before he made his season debut Feb. 24 in Washington’s loss the Chicago Bulls. The wait wasn’t supposed to be that long.
Last May, he underwent a routine procedure on his left ankle to remove bone spurs. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Wizards in July to provide a defensive presence on the wing and some veteran leadership. Both sides assumed he would be ready for the start of the season. But when the 6-foot-6 swingman reported to training camp, discomfort persisted, and he had a second surgery to remove more bone fragments Oct. 13.
For the next four-plus months, Anderson wore slick suits and was the Wizards’ head cheerleader and motivator from the end of the bench. He celebrated positive plays with gusto. He lamented poor sequences with exaggerated facial expressions. He barked at teammates with advice.For the next four-plus months, Anderson wore slick suits and was the Wizards’ head cheerleader and motivator from the end of the bench. He celebrated positive plays with gusto. He lamented poor sequences with exaggerated facial expressions. He barked at teammates with advice.
All the while, his recovery was progressing, though slowly. He went on road trips — a rarity for players out with long-term injuries — to work out under the team training staff’s supervision. The activity steadily ramped up until he practiced for the first time on Feb. 17, right after the all-star break. A week later, he stepped onto the floor at United Center in a Wizards uniform for the first time. All the while, his recovery was progressing, though slowly. He went on trips — a rarity for players out with long-term injuries — to work out under the training staff’s supervision. The activity steadily ramped up until he practiced for the first time Feb. 17, right after the all-star break. A week later, he stepped onto the floor at United Center in a Wizards uniform for the first time.
The setback was significant for a 33-year-old role player set to become a free agent this summer. But it was just another roadblock in Anderson’s career. He wasn’t drafted out of Michigan State in 2005 so he made the Charlotte Bobcats as a training camp invite. He spent parts of two seasons with Charlotte before playing overseas the next four, with stops in Italy, Russia, Croatia, Israel and Spain. He returned to the states to suit up in the D-League and resurfaced in the NBA in 2011 at age 29 with the Toronto Raptors. The journey offers perspective. The injury setback was significant for a role player set to become a free agent this summer. But it was just another roadblock in Anderson’s career. He went undrafted out of Michigan State in 2005, so he made the Charlotte Bobcats as a training camp invite. He spent parts of two seasons with Charlotte before playing overseas the next four, with stops in Italy, Russia, Croatia, Israel and Spain. He returned to the United States to suit up in the NBA D-League and resurfaced in the NBA in 2011 at age 29 with the Toronto Raptors. The journey offers perspective.
“I just always try to think about it always can be worse,” Anderson said. “I’ve played in so many atmospheres and environments and bad situations and I always found myself to fight out of it. So it always could be worse.” “I just always try to think about it always can be worse,” Anderson said. “I’ve played in so many atmospheres and environments and bad situations, and I always found myself to fight out of it. So it always could be worse.”
He was expected to be rusty in his season debut, but he exceeded expectations. Playing with a 16-minute limit, Anderson netted nine points, including two three-pointers, in 16 minutes while supplying a dose of intensity and energy for a team that has often lacked both this season. He scored five points in each of the next two games before sitting out Monday’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers because it was the second game of a back-to-back and the ankle was sore when he woke up. He logged 15 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday and tweaked his ankle on a defender. He was expected to be rusty in his season debut, but he exceeded expectations. Playing with a 16-minute limit, Anderson netted nine points against the Bulls, including two three-pointers while supplying a dose of intensity and energy for a team that often has lacked both. He scored five points in each of the next two games before sitting out Monday’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers because it was the second game of a back-to-back and his ankle was sore when he woke up. He logged 15 minutes against the Cavaliers on Sunday and tweaked his ankle on a defender.
The Wizards took the cautious route Monday and his minutes restriction was hiked to 20, where it will remain for at least a few games, on Wednesday. He he responded with 18 points, including four three-pointers. [Viral videos are all about NBA stars playing along]
“He’s going to help us tremendously,” Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who scored 26 points Wednesday, said. “We have so much depth at each position . . . And it’s great, for one, [for] Alan to be back and healthy . . . And two, the way he’s been producing has been terrific, too. We just need him to continue to be like that, continue to take care of that ankle and continue to shoot and play defense the way that he’s been doing.” The Wizards took the cautious route Monday, and his minutes restriction was hiked to 20, where it will remain for at least a few games, on Wednesday. He responded with four three-pointers.
Anderson doesn’t know when he’ll get the green light to play both games of a back-to-back set. On Wednesday, he said he doubted he would this weekend, when the Wizards face the first-place Cavaliers again Friday before hosting the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. He said he could get the go-ahead next week when Washington plays on the road against the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets. “He’s going to help us tremendously,” said Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who scored 26 points Wednesday. “We have so much depth at each position . . . And it’s great, for one, [for] Alan to be back and healthy. . . . And two, the way he’s been producing has been terrific, too. We just need him to continue to be like that, continue to take care of that ankle and continue to shoot and play defense the way that he’s been doing.”
“I try not to think about the ankle so much,” Anderson said. “When I think about it is when it hurts more. When you think about anything that’s painful, that’s when you pay too much attention to it and you lose sight of whatever you need to do at hand. So I really just try to be normal. Try to take my days off to rest and do the treatment I need to do and try to feel most normal as possible.” Anderson doesn’t know when he will be allowed to play both games of a back-to-back set. On Wednesday, he said he doubted he would this weekend, when the Wizards face the first-place Cavaliers again Friday before they host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. He said he could get the go-ahead next week when Washington plays at Utah and Denver.
Anderson’s return gives Washington the deep 10-man rotation the organization envisioned when the roster was constructed before injuries crippled it. It’s an even better rotation with the recently acquired Markieff Morris taking Kris Humphries’s spot. On Wednesday, Washington’s bench, which now features Beal, Anderson, Jared Dudley, Nene, and Ramon Sessions, outscored Minnesota’s reserves, 64-18. It was Anderson’s best game yet. “I try not to think about the ankle so much,” Anderson said. “When I think about it is when it hurts more. When you think about anything that’s painful, that’s when you pay too much attention to it and you lose sight of whatever you need to do at hand. So I really just try to be normal. Try to take my days off to rest and do the treatment I need to do and try to feel [as] normal as possible.”
Anderson’s return gives Washington an even deeper 10-man rotation than the organization envisioned when the roster was constructed — before injuries crippled it — with the recently acquired Markieff Morris taking Kris Humphries’s spot. On Wednesday, Washington’s bench, which now features Beal, Anderson, Jared Dudley, Nene and Ramon Sessions, outscored Minnesota’s reserves 64-18. It was Anderson’s best game yet.
“It’s still a progression,” Anderson said. “I mean, I’m four games in, man. It’s just getting better. I just got to make sure I’m still patient. There’s a lot of things I still don’t know. I still don’t know all the plays. I’m feeding off just reads and my basketball IQ, really.”“It’s still a progression,” Anderson said. “I mean, I’m four games in, man. It’s just getting better. I just got to make sure I’m still patient. There’s a lot of things I still don’t know. I still don’t know all the plays. I’m feeding off just reads and my basketball IQ, really.”