Nowitzki gives Mavericks high marks for drafting Anderson

From his vantage point Thursday night in the Dallas Mavericks’ “war room,” forward Dirk Nowitzki was able to see how much the draft process is one gigantic roll of the dice.

Although the Mavericks are fond of Justin Anderson and described his selection in the draft as a no-brainer, they had their sights set on selecting point guard Jerian Grant or Delon Wright.

Grant, however, was drafted by Washington with the 19th pick and Wright went to Toronto with the 20th pick, leaving the Mavericks to take Anderson with the 21st pick.

Still, the Mavericks view their first-round selection as someone who can contribute as a rookie.

“I think we wanted to draft [one of] those two guards, but they went literally right before us back-to-back, then Anderson was on our board,” Nowitzki said Friday. “So we got somebody that we like, or really love.

“I think he’s got great athleticism, his shot got better in his third year. He’s just got to work hard and get adjusted quickly.”

Anderson played three years at Virginia and averaged 12.2 points and four rebounds per game this past season. Nowitzki likes the versatility of the 6-foot-6, 228-pounder.

“I don’t watch a lot of college ball,” Nowitzki said. “I only saw a highlight tape and it was like three minutes long, and I was really impressed by his athleticism, how he finishes around the rim, by his corner stroke that showed up in the 3s he’s made.

“He’s got an NBA body already and hopefully he can come in and pick up some of the systems.

“We know coach [Rick] Carlisle has a complex system, and he’s got to pick that up pretty quick. I think he can contribute right away, and that’ll be awesome.”

In the Mavericks’ “war room” for the second time in three years Thursday night, Nowitzki spoke Friday from Dr Pepper Ballpark, where he will host his annual Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile, just about everyone in the Mavericks’ upper management has compared Anderson to Jae Crowder, who played for Dallas from 2012 until he was traded to Boston on Dec. 18 in the Rajon Rondo deal.

Nowitzki sees a slight difference between the two players.

“He’s a lot more athletic than Crowder was,” Nowitzki said of Anderson. “I thought Crowder was a bigger guy. He liked bullying with the small forwards and some of the power forwards, and then he worked on his shot.

“But I don’t think he was ever the athlete that this kid is. [Anderson is] thick. He’s muscular. He plays hard and physical on the wing, and from that standpoint, I don’t think he’ll have any issues adapting to the NBA game.’’

Adapting to the NBA game, might become an issue for Satnam Singh. Drafted 52nd overall, Singh is 7-foot-2 and weighs 290 pounds, and is not known for his speed.

“I didn’t think it was possible, but we found somebody to draft that was slower than me,’’ Nowitzki said with a smile. “We drafted my guy in the second round.

“We just have to see what shape he’s in and how he plays.”

Singh averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The native of Chawke, India, also played for the India national basketball team in the FIBA Asia Championships in 2011 and 2013.

“He was just working out with us last week in the draft workout, and he is a big boy,’’ Nowitzki said. “His hands almost wrapped around mine.

“He’s really a large man, and he’s actually pretty skilled for his size. He made like 15 3s in our round of 3s, so we were all pretty impressed. We just have to see if he’s quick enough and agile enough for the NBA game.”

That analysis won’t be the case with Anderson, who can defend small forwards and shooting guards with few problems. That diversity is a trend that has taken over the NBA.

“We have some 6-6 guys playing power forward and playing everything, and that’s the nature of our being and that’s where the game’s going,’’ Nowitzki said. “So I think Anderson is fitting right into that mold where he can switch everything.

“He can stay in front of people, he can guard multiple positions, and he can get out on the break and run and finish with the best of them. If he works hard and stays injury free, he can contribute right away next season.”

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Nowitzki gives Mavericks high marks for drafting Anderson."