Shandon Anderson - Out Of The Rotation And Out Of Sight



The New York Times' Howard Beck on the ugly rift between Shandon Anderson and New York Knicks management.

He is a virtual nonentity in Coach Lenny Wilkens's preseason rotation, despite assurances that he would be given a fair shot at playing. The mere mention of his name is enough to turn the perpetual smile of the Knicks president, Isiah Thomas, into a near frown.

It is a strange phenomenon to consider, in light of Anderson's reputation as a good citizen and a selfless player. And for those who watched Anderson bloom here, it is difficult to understand what possibly went wrong in New York.




"I'd have to say he's one of my favorite players,'' said Jerry Sloan, the longtime Jazz coach, who was with Anderson from 1996 to 1999. "He played well with the guys we had here, and he worked hard. He just did his job.''

And he did it well. Despite being drafted in the second round in 1996, Anderson was a key reserve as a rookie, helping the Jazz win the Western Conference. He defended Michael Jordan throughout the finals in 1996 and 1997, and provided a solid scoring punch off the bench.

That was then. Now, Anderson is lucky to leave the bench at all, though he played the entire second quarter Tuesday against the Jazz. He made the only shot he took, a 3 pointer.

Anderson bides his time, wondering when or if the Knicks will find a trade partner willing to assume the final three years and $24 million on his contract.

"I don't want to come in and feel like I'm in a dead-end situation," Anderson said before Tuesday night's game.

The reasons for Anderson's Knicks demise remain fuzzy. Thomas has made vague references to violations of team rules, but he cites only one incident: Anderson's failure to attend a postseason exit interview last spring - a move Anderson says he does not regret.

"You just don't blow meetings off,'' Thomas said earlier this week. "Me, personally, I take great offense to that.''

Thomas says Wilkens is solely responsible for Anderson's playing time, an assertion Anderson laughed at.

"I feel like somebody being punished for playing almost seven years, coming to work every day," he said.

Anderson did not play in the Knicks' first preseason game, and he was given just six minutes of mop-up duty in Saturday's victory over San Antonio.

There are whispers that Anderson has lost his touch, but he averaged nearly 8 points a game last season and started 37 games. He is only 30 and has been a model of good health.

The portrayal of Anderson as a rule-breaking malcontent stands in stark contrast to his reputation in Utah. Sloan is known as a strict disciplinarian, as old school as they come in the N.B.A. So when he learned of Anderson's sudden pariah status, Sloan was surprised.

"Every situation is different,'' he said. "I can only speak to what happened here. He never caused any problems. We hated to see him leave.''

Posted: Wed - October 20, 2004 at 10:45 PM      

©