Anderson plays at a deliberate pace, and he is not as fast as more athletically gifted players. Popovich stated that he is "not what you’d call a typical NBA athlete". However, Anderson is praised for his basketball IQ. He is able to change speeds and fake out his opponents to keep them off balance. His methodical style earned him the nickname "Slow Mo" in eighth grade in AAU, and the name has stuck with him. "really understands how to use his speed—he's not super fast, but he's super bright and really knows how to use angles," said Kevin Boyle, who coached Anderson on the national team in 2012. USA Today described him as "languid but quick enough to lead the fast break". Anderson's defense was considered a weakness. In college, his teams usually played zone as he struggled containing smaller, quicker guards while playing man-to-man. His defense improved with the Spurs in 2017–18, when he guarded both forward positions while leveraging his wingspan and instincts. Against quicker small forwards, he uses his physicality to keep players off balance.
Extract the reason why Anderson got the nickname 'Slow Mo'
The reason is because Anderson plays at a deliberate pace, slower than most other peer players, while being able to use his high basketball IQ to change speeds and fake out his opponents on the court.