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Rookie Watch: San Antonio Spurs’ Kyle Anderson

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San Antonio Spurs' Kyle Anderson Drives to the basket

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While the San Antonio Spurs slowly find their championship rhythm, rookie forward Kyle Anderson is struggling to find any rhythm at all. The Spurs haven’t had a rookie hopeful as promising as the 21-year-old in a year, so were the expectations to0 high?

In five games, the standout from UCLA has produced 1.2 points, one assist and three rebounds per game. The Spurs’ offense isn’t exactly the hottest in the NBA right now, with their three-point shooting ranking 24th in the league. It may be harder for Anderson to produce if San Antonio isn’t on the same page offensively.

Despite the offensive struggles of the defending champions, Anderson has seemed a bit unsure of himself in his appearances. His demeanor is that of a young player trying to convince himself that he belongs. The illogical mental game of chess, in which Anderson battles to gain confidence with no positive league experiences to fall back on, is evident.

He started his career with a delay of game penalty for not have his jersey tucked in all the way. He’s followed that up with a horrendous 2-of-21 shooting from the field and 0-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Last year as a collegiate star, Anderson shot roughly 48 percent form the field and the three-point line. He is more than capable of scoring, but he hasn’t found his comfort zone within the team yet.

With injuries to Marco Belinelli, Tiago Splitter and Patty Mills, the roles for the Spurs have been slightly shifted and Anderson is lost in the shuffle. Gregg Popovich has played Anderson in inconsistent spurts, which probably doesn’t help. At 15.4 minutes per game, Anderson can definitely cause some damage if he can get his mind right.

The clock is ticking for Anderson because those minutes will be reduced once injuries are healed. If he’s not producing soon, the NBDL could be in the near future for the lanky 6-foot-9 kid. He must use his opportunity wisely or risk the chance of being lost in the shuffle.

Winston Harris is a San Antonio sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @winstonharris34. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.

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