Orlando Magic: Cole Anthony can ease the suffering

As has so often been the case in the past, the Orlando Magic don’t seem to be capable of having nice things. An impressive start to the season, in which All-Star level talent, exciting youth and some depth were on display, was taken away from through injury after only a handful of games.

Point guard Markelle Fultz going down with an ACL tear to effectively torpedo the season before it even got a chance to really get going. We know now that making it back to the playoffs will be a struggle, while the recent six-game losing streak that followed the injury to Fultz appeared to be a window into a depressing future for the rest of this season.

Then something unexpected and amazing happened on Wednesday night, as the Magic beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road. The win itself wasn’t the surprising part, the Timberwolves are one of the few franchises in the league in a worse position than the Magic, but the manner in which they did so certainly was.

The Magic did not play particularly well, and if not for the timely return of Evan Fournier from injury, then they would have lost this game. But with only seconds left in the game, the Magic were down by two.

Then up stepped Orlando Magic rookie Cole Anthony

As the buzzer sounded, Anthony hoisted up a difficult 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, and it went in to give fans some respite.

Now, this doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things. There are plenty more losses ahead, and as a rookie, Anthony has already had his fair share of growing pains. Coming off the bench as an offensive spark plug was one thing, but having to step up in the absence of the assured Fultz is another.

Yet throughout this young season, Anthony has tried to do everything that has been asked of him, and already it is clear that he is going to do whatever it takes to try and erase some of the pain that fans are currently feeling about this lost season. It is not just what he does on the court that will help either, but we will come back to that.

The post-game interview from Anthony with Dante Marchitelli made for interesting viewing, because of how well the rookie carried himself throughout. That was his first buzzer-beater in the league, and amazingly the first time in franchise history that they won a game in this manner when being two points down and with a shot to win the game.

The other key piece of information regarding that interview is that it was fun. Cole Anthony is fun. Right from the off, he has looked like the kind of incoming young player who Orlando Magic fans have not had in quite a while. It is hard to remember a rookie generating the kind of excitement that Anthony and his game already have.

Jonathan Isaac will still hopefully be the face of this organization upon his own return from an ACL tear. Mohamed Bamba’s career to this point has been a series of fits and starts. Mario Hezonja and Elfrid Payton were not exactly home runs in the draft lottery. Victor Oladipo was, but would only go on to prove that elsewhere.

Even Aaron Gordon, who has become the best two-way player on the team and is currently excelling as point-forward, has never had the kind of consistent “wow” factor to his game that would make casual fans check out the Magic on League Pass. It shows up sometimes, before disappearing again, which has unfortunately been how you could describe Gordon’s seven years in Orlando.

Anthony feels, different. The kind of guard who excites, and who clearly possesses skills offensively. The Orlando Magic haven’t had that since Jameer Nelson, and it is also fair to say that the games of Anthony and Nelson aren’t exactly similar either. Getting Fultz from the Philadelphia 76ers was a great move, but flash and scoring explosions are not how you would describe him.

Anthony on the other hand has a swagger about him, the kind that can make losing games not fun, but more bearable. At this point, it seems only a matter of time before he has a 30 point game. He may even flirt with hitting 40 if he really gets going against the right opponent as the season unwinds.

If and when that happens though, it may come on an inefficient night from the field, with more shots missed than made. There is also a strong possibility it will come in a loss too. But as long as Anthony continues to improve while looking more comfortable in trying to conduct the offense, and also working on his two-man game with center Nikola Vucevic, then fans will be content.

Think of it as the opening act before what will no doubt be the main event when Isaac and Fultz return. Orlando Magic fans endured plenty of losing in the past, and while it hurts more to witness it now because this group could actually be something, it will all be worth it if Anthony takes this opportunity, one which he did not think he would be getting, to improve himself and excite fans in ways they have not seen from a rookie in a long time.