Is this from the same guy in Utah ? INSIDE THE LEAGUE: Ex-Jazzman Anderson An Outcast in Houston Sunday, November 26, 2000 BY STEVE LUHM THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Shandon Anderson has become a shooting guard who rarely shoots. He is an outcast on his own team, the Houston Rockets. In their first 13 games, Anderson attempted only 69 shots in 355 minutes. That's 5.3 per game. That's one shot every 5.14 minutes. Among the regulars in Coach Rudy Tomjanovich's rotation, that's dead last. Matt Bullard shoots more often. So does Kenny Thomas. Compared with teammate Steve Francis' 13.5 shots per game, or Cuttino Mobley's 12.5, Anderson has been as busy as a highway construction crew at lunch time. It probably isn't what Anderson envisioned two years ago when he left the Jazz, who had offered $25 million over five years. Eventually, the Rockets signed him to a three-year deal worth $6.7 million, though Anderson can opt out after this season. This scenario has put Tomjanovich in such a difficult situation that he refuses to discuss Anderson's role in the Rockets' offense, or his future with an organization that seems convinced Francis is its cornerstone player. But what does Anderson think? "You want to be involved," he said. "It's hard to stand in the corner and then be involved. My game does not start at the three-point line, taking threes to get my game jump-started. I have to get in there and make stuff happen. That gets my game going. "[But] it's early. The same thing happened last year. I didn't get touches early. Once I got a feel for the offense and what we were trying to do, I felt a lot more comfortable. This year, [Hakeem Olajuwon] is playing, Maurice Taylor is here. I just have to get a feel for where my shots are coming from." A cynic might suggest Indiana . . . or San Antonio . . . or wherever Anderson signs next season. Seriously, it is an unhappy time for Anderson, and not only because of his limited role in the Rockets' scheme. In October, his mother, Dorothy Anderson, went into the hospital for routine knee surgery. But she reacted badly to the anesthesia and lapsed into a coma. She died less than a week later at age 51 -- just before the start of the NBA season. "I don't have a lot of people around me," Anderson said. "I don't confide in many people. I try to work things out on my own. It's crazy, but sometimes I feel like the only person in the world I can trust is myself. It's not like I can't trust other people. But I don't like to go to people with my problems." Before she died, Anderson's mother was his closest confidant. "When I needed to talk to someone, it was always my mom," he said. "I called her a lot. I guess everybody has someone; I called her." Cancer claimed Anderson's father a few years ago, when he was with the Jazz. "There's no replacing her," Anderson said. "You can get a new car or other things. You can have a new girlfriend. But you can never get your mom back. You get one. That's it. That's something you deal with for a lifetime. No one can say in a certain amount of time you're going to get better. You're not." ------------------
The Jazz are so boring, the Utah writers have to write about something. Shandon will be allright. Same thing as last year. New players. Team chemistry doesn't happen overnight. ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know.
I actually believe that there is something going on with Anderson. He is a hustle player, who gets his points off of garbage buckets and the occasional post up. The Rockets do not run anything for him, and lately have not been running the fast break, which is also something that SA does well. SA may indeed be down, with Mo and Dream getting all of the post plays, and Francis and Mobley getting all the Guard plays, SA is really an outcast on this team on offense. Defensively he is GREAT, but as a semi-one dimensional player, I am not convinced that Rudy sees him as a cornerstone anymore. DaDakota ------------------ If Mankind evolved from Monkeys and Apes, then why are there still Monkeys and apes?
DaDa, in no way is shandon a one or even semi on dimensional player. He has a jump shot, drive, athleticism and is a good rebounder. one dimensional? no. I think that some of this has to do with his mother's passing. He is a quiet guy that deals with things by himself. Many times keeping things to yourself makes it take longer. I think he will snap out of it.
VJ, I agree that his mother's passing is having severe ramifications on his play. As for SA, the truth is that he is a limited offensive player. His dribbling skills are not that great, he is an average or below average jump shooter, an above average post player, and an adequate passer. He may not be one dimensional, but outside of his defense and selfless play (WHICH I LOVE BY THE WAY) he is no all star. DaDakota ------------------ If Mankind evolved from Monkeys and Apes, then why are there still Monkeys and apes?
Really tough break that Shandon lost his mom during "routine" knee surgery totally unexpectedly. Lisa Malosky was talking about how this was Shandon's first Thanksgiving sans mother and how his sister had to cook dinner. Is this stress supposed to affect his offense more than his defense? He played GREAT defense against Jones and he's hustled and played great D against everyone all year. He's still great on defense, but now, suddenly, he can't play offense? He was never a great offensive player. Who's the NBA leader in steals this year and last year? Jones. Jones is defending Shandon in the 3rd quarter. Shandon is dribbling, showing Jones the ball, not really looking at Jones. Jones just took the ball away. Pititful. Shandon threw up another air ball against MIA, pitiful. OTOH, he did make a great hustling offensive board and putback early in the game. He's a great defender and a great hustler, not an offensive threat.
Anderson not an offensive threat..... Then I guess that's why he killed us in the playoffs twice while playing for the jazz ------------------ "Wahooo"-homer I'm not only a fan but I'm also the bartender
I really feel for the guy because deep down I feel he may be getting shut out by Francis and Mobley, but I could be wrong. I know SA isn't a go to guy. He doesn't get plays run for him, but I totally understand where he is coming from and where his head is at. I really hope things turn around for him in his personal life and his professional life. ------------------ Five to one baby, one and five...no one here gets, out alive.
He's having more problems than just being in a slump. His ballhandling skills have never been above average, but this year they're horrible. I cringe every time he has the ball, and I'm a fan of Shandon. That last game he dribbled baseline and the ball just bounced away from him out of bounds. No defender's reaching in. He's better than that. The 25 and 19 point back-to-back games show that he can be a threat offensively. One of the reasons Francis and others aren't getting him the ball may be his lack of ballhandling and turnover tendendies. Who knows what he's showing them in practice? ------------------ "We end up with Francis/Mobley isolations very often. More often, I'd say, then other teams." -- jamcracker
You can really tell that Shandon leaving the Jazz really left them extremely bitter. Ive seen so many articles about him from salt lake papers. they should get over it and move on. you dont see the chronicle writing about mike hampton or daryl kile once a month. ------------------ "Man, it's cool. I'm going to be president. That's Wicked." -George W. Bush, SNL
