Justin Anderson has shined during his stretch as a starter

A rookie is helping to lead a team of veterans into the playoffs.

Justin Anderson, the youngest player on the third-oldest roster in the NBA, has played the best basketball of his career during the last six games, the latest of which was just career start No. 7. The 22-year-old scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked three shots Friday in the Mavs’ 103-93 win against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team’s sixth straight. The Mavericks have never lost a game Anderson has started.

There is an important distinction at least one Mavs coach would want you to point out, though. Dallas assistant Darrell Armstrong is quick to remind the rookie that he isn’t a starter yet — he’s simply starting. You’ve got to keep the young kid grounded, humble, and hungry.

That has never been an issue, however, in Anderson’s rookie season. More than just a good sport, willing to carry around a pink backpack full of things like lotion and ketchup, Anderson has remained one of the hardest-working players in the locker room all season long. He squeezes every bit of advice and wisdom out of Dirk Nowitzki — whom Anderson fondly calls “Six,” as he’s sixth all-time in scoring — the German is willing to give. He follows Deron Williams anywhere he goes, eager to build upon the players’ rookie-vet relationship. He stands up for J.J. Barea when teammates tease him for his height, and Barea reciprocates by helping the rookie anytime a gang of vets picks on him. (Those times aren’t few and far between, either.)

In short, the 22-year-old Anderson has become a respected member of this team, its average age 30.3 years old. He earned his teammates’ respect long before his play demanded it. And now, it’s scary to imagine how the Mavs’ last six games might have turned out were it not for Anderson’s defensive presence, rebounding, and general energy. He’s averaged 9.2 points per game on 54.3 percent shooting and 38.5 percent from deep, adding 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

Based on those numbers and the Mavericks’ success following Anderson’s insertion into the starting lineup, it’s tempting to wonder what could have been this season had he started sooner. But to a man, the Mavericks — including Anderson himself, and more importantly his head coach Rick Carlisle — would tell you the game has slowed down so much for him recently because of how he watched and learned early in the season. He now knows the entire playbook at every position, something that’s been necessary during the last six games, when the 6-foot-6 rookie has played shooting guard and both forward spots. Anderson admits he of course felt some frustration and the desire to play, but he understands it’s part of the process.

“Some days you have it, but then others you look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘You’re a small-town kid from Montross, Va. You’ve got to just be thankful for every opportunity that you have.’ And to be suited up was a huge deal to me. Even to be in a suit and be on the bench was a huge deal to me at times. I always try to stay optimistic and keep my eyes on the prize. J.J., Deron, Wesley, and those guys are huge for me, Dirk, just telling me to keep after it and acknowledging my work ethic when I was working hard.

“It was tough times, but at the same time I’m super appreciative of them, because what’s a rookie year if you don’t have any ups and downs? It’s good to look back and see that, and see my growth from there.”

The rookie did plenty of learning early in the season, watching Williams, Matthews, Nowitzki, and Chandler Parsons carry the Mavs to a hot 9-4 start, during which he appeared in only 10 games and averaged 7.4 minutes. “We were playing great basketball and the time and I was just learning so much to be in a position to just be comfortable out there where I am now,” Anderson said.

After 61 games the team’s record stood at 33-28 before a wave of injuries hit, sidelining Parsons for the season with a torn meniscus. Williams, meanwhile, has missed the last eight games with an abdominal strain, or what he’s calling a sports hernia. The Mavs subsequently lost 10 of 12 games. That reality opened the door for Anderson, and he’s blown right through it.

Fast forward a few weeks and suddenly the Mavericks are one win (or one Rockets loss) away from clinching a playoff spot, and they could conceivably climb to as high as sixth in the standings.

If his teammates acknowledged his hard work then, what are their impressions of the rookie now? If anything, his success has potentially made him only a bigger target in the locker room, both in banter and even in battle. The gregarious rookie’s mouth sometimes gets away from him, and often that’s led to as many as five of his teammates literally wrestling him to keep him quiet.

“They get me on the ground and I just have to surrender,” Anderson said. “I realized my lesson real quick.”

All part of the hazing process? Not necessarily. Salah Mejri has managed to avoid those types of confrontations. But it does show that Anderson, just like every single one of his other teammates, is subjected to friendly derision. He’s one of them now. How many times has this happened, anyway?

“Too many times to put out there,” Anderson joked. “I’m gonna make sure that no one thinks it’s an abusive relationship in the locker room. Deron works on his MMA moves on me, and Wesley — obviously, he’s so strong. I just let those guys go to my chest, beat me up, and then they let me go after a little bit.”

If he’s not talking, he’s wrestling. And if he’s not wrestling, he’s probably running or jumping or screaming or yelling or getting the fans fired up. Anderson is over-flowing with energy, and his youthfulness has been a blessing. He even sprints to the scorer’s table before checking into the game, something he’s done since playing at Montrose Christian for legendary coach Stu Vetter.

“Coach Vetter, if you got up and walked to the scorer’s table, he’ll sit you down and sub someone else in,” Anderson said. “We always got up and ran to the scorer’s table and I carried it on at (college at) Virginia.

“It’s good to get your mind into the game, get warmed up, get a little spring in before you go into the game, but also show coach you’re ready.”

It took five months and more than 70 games, but Anderson has been ready, alright.