Ryan Anderson reportedly 'in the best shape of his basketball life'
Ryan Anderson is the prototypical stretch-four when healthy, a 6'10" power forward capable of both crashing the glass and knocking down shots from three-point distance.
Injuries and some tragedy in his personal life have limited Anderson's level of production over the past two seasons, but if the way he's been training this summer is any indication, he could be ready to return to form for New Orleans in the upcoming season.
“He moves a lot better,” new Pelicans strength and conditioning coach Jason Sumerlin said, via Jim Eichenhofer of the team's website. “He was jumping and dunking every play (in Los Angeles). He’s been working.”
“Ryan Anderson is in the best shape of his basketball life,” tweeted Pelicans TV broadcaster Joel Meyers, who visited the voluntary workouts in Southern California.
“He’s been so into it this summer,” Sumerlin said of Anderson’s dedication. “He’s excited. He’s been consistent and has the right mindset. It’s the way he’s working out. I showed him HITS, which is high-intensity training. You don’t just do one set and catch your breath. You constantly go through different stations, kind of like CrossFit. His heart rate is constantly up. He’s really thin.”
Add this to the long list of reasons that the fans in New Orleans are excited about the potential for the Pelicans to make a leap this year.
(h/t: NBA.com/pelicans)
