Alan Anderson to the Bobcats

The Brain · Jul 1, 2005 at 2:51 PM

http://www.greenandwhite.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050701/GW0201/507010349/1023/GW

Anderson chooses deal with Charlotte
Torbert will get shot with Bulls or Raptors; Hill with San Antonio

By Joe Rexrode
Lansing State Journal

When the 2005-06 NBA season opens in the fall, Alan Anderson expects to be wearing a Charlotte Bobcats uniform.

Anderson, the recently graduated Spartan who was jilted during Tuesday's NBA draft, chose the Bobcats on Thursday over six other free-agent offers.

"It's been real tough, but I've had a whole bunch of support," said Anderson, who received supportive calls after the draft from several former teammates, along with NBA players and friends Zach Randolph, Jason Richardson and Chauncey Billups. "I couldn't believe I got passed up, but I know I'm an NBA player. I'm gonna get in somehow."

Fellow MSU seniors Kelvin Torbert and Chris Hill also will try to make teams this summer - Torbert with the Chicago Bulls or Toronto Raptors, and Hill with the San Antonio Spurs.

Anderson will head to Charlotte next week for a minicamp, then play on Charlotte's summer league team July 15-22 in Salt Lake City, Utah. If he does well, the Bobcats might produce a contract offer on the spot, said Anderson's agent, Henry Thomas.

If not, Anderson likely will be invited to camp in the fall and try to make the team then.

"Our goal is for him to be impressive enough to get a contract after the summer league," Thomas said.

Anderson likely would be signed for the league minimum, which will be close to $400,000 a year under the new collective bargaining agreement, Thomas said.

The Spurs and Bulls were among the teams interested in Anderson, but he sees great opportunity with Charlotte, which is entering its second season as a franchise.

The 6-foot-6 small forward will compete with current Bobcats Jason Kapono, Gerald Wallace and former Michigan Wolverine Bernard Robinson Jr. on the perimeter - and Kapono and Wallace are restricted free agents who could depart.

The Bobcats drafted North Carolina stars Sean May and Raymond Felton in the first round. May, Felton and the Tar Heels ousted Anderson and MSU in the Final Four. Anderson, bothered by a torn meniscus in his knee, went scoreless.

Anderson assumed concerns about his knee scared some teams off Tuesday.

"That's the only thing I can look at," Anderson said. "It couldn't have been anything else."

Anderson had been projected by some as a late-first-round choice after an impressive showing at the pre-draft camp in Chicago. He thought for a split second that the Pistons had taken him with the final pick of the draft, No. 60 - until he heard the full name on TV: "Al ... ex Acker of Pepperdine."

"I was actually hoping it wasn't me," Anderson said. "Because it's like, I'm better than that. After a while, after the first round passed and about the first 10 picks of the second round, I was like, 'I hope I don't get picked,' because I'd rather be able to choose a team than be restricted to that one team."

Torbert leaves for Bulls' minicamp today. But his agent Mike Harrison, said the Toronto Raptors have assured him of a spot on their summer league team, which plays in Los Angeles starting July 8. If things go well with the Bulls, he'll play on their summer league team starting July 6 in Las Vegas.

Hill will join the Spurs minicamp July 10, where he'll be one of 10 players vying for five spots on San Antonio's summer league team, said Hill's agent, Guy Zucker.

Harrison also represents former Spartans Mateen Cleaves and Andre Hutson. Cleaves, who played with the Seattle SuperSonics last year, is a free agent. Seattle and "a couple other teams" in the NBA are possibilities for Cleaves, Harrison said.

Hutson, who played in Greece last season, has been invited to play for the Houston Rockets' summer league team. He is weighing that against some offers from teams in Italy and Russia, Harrison said.
Click to expand...

The Brain · Jul 1, 2005 at 2:53 PM

http://nbadraft.net/profiles/alananderson.asp

LarryD · Jul 1, 2005 at 2:57 PM

how come that story didn't talk about his averages or how many startss he had at MSU or any all-star teams he made?

PaulPaladin · Jul 1, 2005 at 9:13 PM

ESPN Insider's scouting report...a guy we could keep with the expanded rosters and teach to shoot...

Draft Projection: Second Round

Positives: Good athlete with good size for his position. Good defender. Excellent at getting into the lane and drawing fouls. Good free throw shooter.

Negatives: Struggles with the jumper.

Summary: After David Lee and Luther Head, Anderson was the best player at the Chicago pre-draft camp. Anderson's athleticism, strength and ability to get into the lane and draw fouls impressed just about everyone. His 18 points on the last day put him over the top as the best scorer in the camp. If his jump shot were a little better, he'd get consideration in the first round.

magnus · Jul 2, 2005 at 3:45 PM

Could be a keeper. Hustle, size, can drive some. Too bad he can't shoot, because someone has to be able to generate points outside the lane.

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