Red Claws acquire Anderson

The press release:

The Maine Red Claws, presented by Quirk Chevrolet, today announced that they have acquired shooting guard Antonio Anderson from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in exchange for guard Matt Janning.

A 6-6, 215 lb. shooting guard out of Memphis, Anderson is known as versatile performer and a top defensive player. After participating in the Charlotte Bobcats 2009 training camp, Anderson, 25, entered the NBA Development League Draft where he was selected in the first round by Rio Grande Valley, leading the Vipers to the league championship last season and earning a spot on the Western Conference All-Star Team. He also earned two NBA GATORADE call-ups during his rookie season by Oklahoma City, appearing in one game for the Thunder. After a successful rookie season, in which he averaged 16.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 1.3 spg in 48 games, the Lynn, MA native was invited to the Houston Rockets 2010 training camp before rejoining the Vipers this season. In 17 games with Rio Grande Valley, he has averaged 7.7 ppg and 1.8 rpg with 5 blocked shots and eight steals.

“Antonio Anderson is a versatile player who plays the game at a high level on both ends of the court and led his team to last year’s D-League Championship,” said Red Claws President and General Manager Jon Jennings. “Antonio is a player we were very interested in last year and are thrilled to be able to add him to our roster.”

The Red Claws will travel to Frisco, TX for their first-ever meeting with the expansion Texas Legend this Friday before completing the two-game set on Monday. Red Claws can tune into that game on WJJB 96.3 FM “The Big Jab” or watch live online through the Futurecast link on the Red Claws or NBA D-League websites.

--END PRESS RELEASE--

The analysis: Having heard rumors about Anderson being a bit of a problem in the locker room, I asked David Hinojosa from rgvsports.com via Twitter if Anderson was a "pain in the ass". The response: "No comment". He had previously tweeted this, which perked my interest.

Rio Valley GM Gersson Rosas told Hinojosa: "(Anderson) wants to get to the NBA, and we're probably not the best vehicle for him to get there."

It will be interesting to see how he fits in here in Portland, or if the situation in RGV just wasn't good for him.