By SAM
GARDNER
FOXSportsFlorida.com
Magic writer
Jan. 19,
2011
It's been an interesting first half of the season for Magic power forward Ryan Anderson, who has gone from starter to scrub to key role player in a matter of three months.
The story starts with Anderson in the starting lineup.
After a blowout loss to Miami in the season's second game, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy decided to go big, shifting power forward Rashard Lewis to small forward. The result was golden opportunity for Anderson, who started four games at the four alongside Lewis during the early part of the season.
But rather than embrace the opportunity, Anderson laid an egg, and after two turnovers in the first 1:34 of a game against Utah, Van Gundy benched the third-year pro.
In a complete 360 from the season's first two weeks, Anderson received DNP-CDs in nine of the next 10 games before returning for three minutes of action against Chicago on Dec. 1.
Two nights later, in Detroit, Anderson was one of just nine available players for the Magic, but he sprained his right foot less than a minute after checking in, an injury that would go on to keep him out of the next nine games.
However, two blockbuster trades that sent Lewis to Washington and backup center Marcin Gortat to Phoenix opened the door for Anderson, and he hasn't disappointed since his return to the lineup on Dec. 23 against San Antonio.
In the last 13 games, Anderson has averaged 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and not coincidentally, the Magic have gone 10-3 in those games. Anderson has been one of Orlando's most consistent shooters during the run, hitting 46 percent of his shots from the field and 44.3 percent of his three-pointers.
On the recent four-game road trip, Anderson was even better. He shot 52.6 percent from the field (20-of-38) and he knocked down 53.8 percent of his threes (14-of-26).
"He had a very good road trip," Van Gundy said after Orlando's shootaround Wednesday morning. "He was terrific in the Boston game."
Against the Celtics, Anderson made four three-pointers in a three minute stretch in the late first and early second quarters as the Magic turned a 24-14 deficit into a 28-27 lead.
"(I'm) getting open shots," Anderson said. "Guys are finding me, that's pretty much it."
During the trip, Anderson averaged 15 points and eight rebounds a game, but for Van Gundy, the rebounding total is the most important number.
"Obviously, shooting the ball helps, but that's going to come and go," Van Gundy said. "As he's continuing to try to get better defensively, he has got to rebound the ball, and he's been doing that."
A talk with Van Gundy may have been what sparked Anderson's improved play on the road.
"A few games ago Coach actually talked to me about focusing a little bit more on the rebounding end, so yeah, definitely the past couple games I've been focusing a little bit more on getting to the boards," Anderson said. "And I think that in turn kind of helps on the defensive end."
Since the Magic traded Gortat, Orlando has been without a true backup center, with Anderson and Brandon Bass splitting time at that position.
"Obviously, I'm playing bigger guys, I'm playing centers," Anderson said. "So I have to keep them off the glass and kind of eliminate them from getting low post position."
Maintaining that focus on defensive rebounding will be important if the Magic want to get back on the winning side of games.
"I think this second half (of the season) we need to bring a lot more of a defensive mindset," Anderson said. "We've got to come out and just have some more energy, I think. That's sort of what's been holding us back the last four games."
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