![\"Kyle](\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/latest-news\/7mnyd9\/picture303719551\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/19DAV_HEAT_76ERS.jpg\")
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Kyle Anderson has only been with the Miami Heat for two months, but the veteran forward has already earned Heat coach Erik Spoelstra\u2019s trust and respect.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think one of the things I\u2019ve learned about him is he is a great competitor,\u201d Spoelstra said of Anderson ahead of Wednesday night\u2019s matchup against the Chicago Bulls at United Center to begin an important late-season two-game trip. \u201cWinning is what matters to him, not stats or not anything else that a lot of young players are concerned about when they come into this league. It\u2019s just about winning.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a throwback in that regard. So he\u2019s tough, he competes, he thinks about winning, and it kind of simplifies his decisions. He\u2019s not clouded in the mind. He\u2019s just a very good basketball player.\u201d<\/p>\n
The feeling is mutual, as Anderson has been impressed with Spoelstra since the Golden State Warriors dealt him to the Heat on Feb. 6 as part of the Jimmy Butler trade.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it,\u201d Anderson said when asked about his initial impressions of Spoelstra. \u201cThe details in preparation, how competitive he is, his competitive spirit is crazy. I\u2019ve been wanting to learn from him from a coaching standpoint of how he gets his guys to play hard for him, whether he has to get on somebody or build them up. I just watch how he goes about that stuff. It\u2019s really cool to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
In other words, the partnership between Anderson and the Heat has been productive and positive so far.<\/p>\n
After enduring fluctuating playing time with the Warriors earlier this season, Anderson has earned a more consistent role since joining the Heat amid the team\u2019s injury issues through his high-level basketball IQ and unique skill set as a pass-first 6-foot-9 forward who grew up playing as a point guard. Entering Wednesday\u2019s matchup against the Bulls, Anderson has logged double-digit minutes off the Heat\u2019s bench in eight straight games and has played 20 or more minutes in seven of those eight games.<\/p>\n
Anderson, 31, has averaged 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 22.9 minutes per game off the bench over this eight-game stretch, shooting 53.3 percent from the field. Most importantly, Anderson\u2019s play has led to positive results with the Heat outscoring opponents by a dominant 23.8 points per 100 possessions when he has been on the court during the past eight games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just can\u2019t say enough about Kyle,\u201d Spoelstra said, continuing to praise Anderson. \u201cKyle is a winning basketball player. He really is. He\u2019s an unorthodox player, so you have to view him differently. His skill set is not a traditional skill set. But if you can embrace what he does, he can unlock a lot of different strengths out of our team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just love what he brings. He\u2019s a competitor. I think above anything else, he competes and winning really matters to him. He competes on both ends. He\u2019s a two-way basketball player and he does a lot of different things that impact the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicknamed \u201cSlow-Mo\u201d as an 11-year-old for his deliberate style of play, Anderson has used his methodical approach to make his way into the paint for 27 of his 32 made field goals since joining the Heat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t do it intentionally,\u201d Anderson said of his slow style. \u201cIt\u2019s just how I\u2019ve always played the game. I grew up playing against a lot of kids who were faster and stronger than me, and I had to find a style of play that worked for me and how I can combat their quickness and not being as athletic. So it always worked for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Heat forward Nikola Jovic missing his 25th straight game on Wednesday after breaking his right hand in late February, the Heat has needed what Anderson has to offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cKyle is giving us something different,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cHe\u2019s a point guard. So he can set the table, he can control tempo, he can control and manipulate the defense. He can do it from the point guard position, he can do it from the low post. He just has a knack for those kind of plays and nuances. And we want to lean into that. Because it seems like a good fit right now with that second unit for him to be able to just kind of manipulate and orchestrate with his experience and IQ.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anderson, who wants to get into coaching following his playing career, has two more seasons left on his contract after this season. He\u2019s due $9.2 million next season and $9.7 million in the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can play at his own pace. You know what his nickname is,\u201d Spoelstra said, referring to Anderson\u2019s moniker of \u201cSlow-Mo.\u201d \u201cHe can make plays, see the plays before they develop and then he\u2019s not getting rushed into decisions. So he can always make the decision late and usually it\u2019s after the defense makes a mistake. And then if you\u2019re playing all the passes and everything, he just has a craftiness that he\u2019s a good finisher inside the circle. Even if it\u2019s not a layup, he\u2019s got really good touch right around there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anderson has moved around throughout his career, as the Heat is the fifth different team that he has played for during his 11 NBA seasons.<\/p>\n
But Anderson almost didn\u2019t get to the Heat, as the initial Butler trade agreed to had Anderson going to the Toronto Raptors. However, that part of the deal fell through and Anderson ended up with the Heat.<\/p>\n
The Heat is happy it worked out that way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful that we have Kyle because he does a lot of good things to help you win,\u201d Spoelstra said.<\/p>\n
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Kyle Anderson has only been with the Miami Heat for two months, but the veteran forward has already earned Heat coach Erik Spoelstra\u2019s trust and respect. \u201cI… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":51355,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n