The Houston Rockets are going all-in on shooting around James Harden, starting off the Mike D’Antoni era with players who fit his system. One of those is Ryan Anderson, who agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract over the weekend. In a recent radio interview, the 6’10 marksman said he was excited about the opportunity – mainly, how many open threes he’s going to get.
Forward @ryananderson33 on the #Rockets pitch and @JHarden13: pic.twitter.com/g0awQ5M2wW
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) July 5, 2016
Anderson is a career 37.7 percent three-point shooter, but he’s tailed off over the last two years. He shot 34 percent from beyond the arc in 2014-15 and 36.6 percent last season in New Orleans. He and fellow ex-Pelican Eric Gordon are going to get a lot more open shots with perimeter defenders focused on Harden. There isn’t going to be much defense anywhere on the roster, but they’re going to be more exciting to watch with this many shooters on board.
The bigger question mark, though, is Anderson’s health. He has a history of back problems that are concerning for a big man and would have made most teams think twice about giving him a four-year deal at the kind of money that Houston offered him. But if he can stay healthy, it’s a good fit offensively, and he’s going to get plenty of open looks to knock down.
