Rich Paul pens appreciation for Kyle Anderson's viral high IQ play: "Young players pay attention"
The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to keep their playoff hopes alive this season thanks to Kyle Anderson. After they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 105-100 on Tuesday night, the T'Wolves forced a Game 5 in the Western Conference finals and avoided getting swept.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul appreciated the Wolves star for his basketball IQ during the game. Paul tweeted a video of a play from the crucial Game 4 and highlighted Anderson's contribution. In the video, Anderson orchestrated a play where Anthony Edwards was in a one-on-one situation with a Mavs defender. As soon as he saw that, he asked Karl-Anthony Towns to rush to the edge of the box.
Anderson then moved deeper in the arc, creating space for Edwards to drive in, who then passed the ball to "KAT" who was ready to shoot a 3 from his position.
Paul said in his post on X/Twitter:
"Young players pay attention. This is high IQ basketball that exceeds your ranking as an individual talent. You have to get to a place where you star in a role and become knowledgeable of making a winning play that doesn’t involve the ball. To guarantee value in the NBA/WNBA." Paul wrote.
Kyle Anderson shines in crucial Game 4 against Mavs
Although Kyle Anderson only scored two points in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, his contribution was much more than what the stats represent. Anderson's off-ball movement to create space on the court allowed Karl-Anthony Towns to sink in two massive 3-pointers in the final quarter. "KAT" finished the game 4-of-5 from downtown, and his last three shots were arguably the most crucial ones in the entire game.
"Yeah, he [Anderson' is everything we need. He’s like the X-factor. Him and Jaden [McDaniels] it’s like X-factors," Anthony Edwards said.
Kyle Anderson's specialty lies in his decision-making on the court. He initiates plays that can lead to game-changing moments and his abilities were on full display on Tuesday night. Andreson was great defensively as well, making three successful steals, a post-season high for the Wolves star. He is currently averaging 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists with only 19.8 minutes of playtime per game in the series.
Game 5 takes place at Target Center on Thursday, where Kyle Anderson and Co. will look to extend the series further into a Game 6.