As Casper Ware wraps up his pursuit of an NBA contract, Larry Anderson is just starting his.
Ware, a 5’10” point guard who led Long Beach State in points last year, had an unimpressive week with the Pistons at the Orlando Summer League. He played limited minutes and shot less than 25 percent during that time. As of now, his contract situation with the Pistons remains up in the air.
“I might still join the Pistons for training camp,” Ware said. “If not, I’ll probably head overseas.”
Detroit already has three point guards on its roster, including 2011 first-round pick Brandon Knight, who finished with double-digit point totals in each of the games he played this summer. By comparison, Ware’s best total was eight points – and that was in the final game of the summer season, when he played 30 minutes.
Ware finished his five-game summer league stint with 21 points, 14 assists, 3 steals and 7 rebounds in 68 minutes. He shot 23.3 percent from the floor and was only 2-for-13 on three-point attempts.
His case for an invite to training camp is almost entirely built around his defense and clutch play.
“I feel like I’m holding my own defensively,” Ware said last week. “I really just need to focus on being a distraction and making things difficult for [opponents].”
Ware’s play at the end of the final game helped seal a 71-67 win for the Pistons over the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether or not that is enough to earn him an invite to training camp remains to be seen.
Ware’s pursuit of a NBA contract this year may be nearing its close, but Anderson’s is just beginning.
Anderson, a four-year starter at guard for the 49ers, went undrafted but recently signed with the Clippers for their summer league season in Las Vegas. In one game so far, he has played ten minutes and scored two points.
Anderson’s chances of making an NBA roster may be slimmer than Ware’s, as he was not as highly praised before the draft. He has four games left to prove he has what it takes to join the Clippers for good.
If he cannot, he may end up overseas playing with his former Long Beach State teammate.