MANILA, Philippines – In just two days, the 2023 FIBA World Cup has already proved that not all NBA players are gods among men.
It’s one thing for NBA role players to get into a slow start with their respective national teams, but such a thing happening with NBA starters is an entirely different conversation altogether, and that was the unfortunate case for naturalized Chinese player Kyle Anderson.
Going by the Chinese name Kaier Li, the Minnesota Timberwolves forward stuck out like a sore thumb in China’s sorry 42-point loss to Serbia, bottoming out with 0 points on 0-of-9 shooting with 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 26 minutes.
Although disappointing would be an understatement to describe Anderson’s forgettable debut in official FIBA competition, a handful were quick to come to his defense after the game, namely China coach Aleksandar Djordevic, Serbia mentor Svetislav Pesic, and fellow NBA starter Bogdan Bogdanovic.
“He was inside our game, they found every time good traps on him and good situations defensively. He tried to find some open shots, it didn’t go in, some easy layups of course to keep him going,” said Djordevic.
He added: “That’s one game. For him also, it’s his first time to play teams like this, first time in the World Cup. Everything needs time. We’re just patient.”
To put Anderson’s game in perspective, literally every single Serbian player fielded outscored him in the one-sided affair, led by Bogdanovic’s 14 points in just a 22-minute run.
Still, most fans, including Pesic, know that scoring is just not Anderson’s claim to fame in his nine-year NBA career.
“For him, it’s a new situation. First time to play FIBA basketball. The gaps on the court in FIBA basketball are smaller than the NBA,” Pesic said.
“Like everybody knows, he’s one player that for his size is excellent in ball handling. Good eyes, he’s not a scorer. He’s like a second point guard. I think from day to day, he will find his rhythm to work out and play our FIBA basketball,” added Pesic.
And perhaps more than most people, Bogdanovic can relate to the adjustments needed in one’s game to mesh in different leagues and tournaments.
“Tough game for him, but for sure he’s trying to adjust,” said the eight-year EuroLeague veteran now on his sixth NBA season. “This is his first tournament, so I know how it is when you’re playing a different game. He will need time to adjust,” said Bogdanovic.
China has two more games left in Group B against Puerto Rico and World Cup debutant South Sudan, where Anderson is expected to bounce back.
After all, no one simply survives nine years in the NBA without learning to adapt. – Rappler.com
