Is Cole Anthony a future perennial NBA All-Star?
Cole Anthony hasn’t been an All-Star yet, but earning the honor on a yearly basis could eventually become the norm for him down the road.
The son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, the second-year Orlando Magic guard is clearly one of the most exciting young players in the league today.
He was selected 15th overall in the 2020 NBA draft following his freshman year at North Carolina. He put together a solid rookie campaign despite missing 25 games due to a fractured rib, averaging 12.9 points and 4.7 assists per contest.
Welcome to Orlando, @The_ColeAnthony!
#MagicTogether https://t.co/g7qJdsotCd
This season, Anthony has emerged as a candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. He’s currently producing 17.7 points and 5.9 assists per contest for the rebuilding Magic.
Orlando drafted him to serve as a backup point guard. However, the New York City native has blossomed into the team’s best player and so far, he has looked like a future star who could lead the franchise back to relevance.
What does Cole Anthony bring to the table?
Dishing out five assists a game during his career, Anthony is a decent but not elite passer. Scoring the basketball is definitely what he’s known for.
In last year's season finale, he scored a career-high 37 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. He became the first Magic rookie to score at least 30 points since Victor Oladipo recorded 30 back in February 2014.
Anthony finished his rookie season with four 20-plus-point games and two game-winning, three-point buzzer beaters. That’s not bad at all for a mid-first-round pick.
Thus far this season, he has reached the 20-point mark 19 times, including three 30-plus-point performances.
Anthony put up some incredible numbers in an October contest against his hometown New York Knicks. He barely missed a triple-double, collecting 29 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. He also knocked down five of his nine three-point attempts.
As a result, Anthony became just the sixth player in NBA history to record at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and five three-pointers in a game. The first five players to accomplish the feat were Steph Curry, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Russell Westbrook and Manu Ginobili.
Cole Anthony tonight:
29 PTS
16 REB
8 AST
5 3PT
He joins Steph, Harden, Luka, Westbrook and Manu as the only guards in NBA history with a 25/15/5 & 5+ 3PT stat line. https://t.co/uzYYHRhofr
That's great company, seeing that three of those guys are former MVPs, one will probably win a MVP at some point and the other is guaranteed to make the Hall of Fame.
Is he a perennial All-Star in the making?
Anthony has the potential to become a perennial All-Star one day. He can score, possesses a nice pull-up jumper and has superb ball-handling skills. Plus, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t improve as a facilitator.
Rebounding is one of the most impressive parts of his game as well. He’s currently averaging 5.8 rebounds a night, which is really insane for a 6’2” point guard. He has grabbed at least nine boards on eight occasions this season.
Orlando is in full rebuilding mode right now, but the roster consists of several talented young pieces like Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. With Anthony leading the way, the franchise certainly has a bright future.
If he continues to improve his game, which will likely happen, the sky is the limit for the talented, potential All-Star candidate.