If you are a fan of the Orlando Magic, then this season’s slow start has not been great to watch. It hasn’t been totally surprising either, though. A young group such as this alongside a first-time head coach in Jamahl Mosley was always going to struggle.
At 1-6, however, any hopes of even flirting with the play-in tournament already look in trouble. That is not being hyperbolic either, as the Eastern Conference is much improved this season. Although injuries may hamper other organizations, right now the outlook is looking like a lot more losses.
Cole Anthony is the silver lining to a disappointing Orlando Magic season
There has been one real silver lining early in the year though, and that has been the play of point guard Cole Anthony.
The second-year player has already firmly established himself as somebody who sets the tone for this group. His controlled aggression and willingness to fight on every possession are admirable traits that have positively rubbed off on his teammates. Anthony also clearly has a knack for bringing people together, as we have seen this both on and off the court a bunch already.
But all of these facts are scant consolation when you are watching a losing product most nights. Fans need something to point to in order to show tangible improvement, and to that end, Anthony (as well as rookie Franz Wagner, who has surprised) has been somebody who has really delivered so far.
Cole Anthony is having a great season for the Orlando Magic
Averages of 17.7 points and 7.4 assists are getting close to the kinds of numbers All-Star-level players put up. Of course, doing this over the course of a season, or even a few months, is the next step. Beyond that, actually contributing to a winning franchise is the final step, but for where Anthony is at in his development right now, this is extremely promising.
It’s even more promising when you consider rookie Jalen Suggs is having the kind of inconsistent start to his professional career that essentially every young player has. Last week’s matchup with Scottie Barnes was an unwelcome distraction too, not that either Suggs or Barnes allowed themselves to get caught up in all the talk.
Points and assists are one positive indicator of Anthony’s improvement, and another is most certainly his three-point shooting. He has started the year shooting a red hot 42.2% from deep on a considerable 6.4 attempts per night. You could argue that number will fall, and you’d probably be right.
However, Anthony is doing this while shooting nearly double the number of long-range bombs from a year ago (3.7), and playing with almost a full complement of players. If anything, it is more impressive that he has managed to do this without the help of Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, and Chuma Okeke – three players who can stretch the floor for Anthony when out there.
Who should start for the Orlando Magic – Cole Anthony or Markelle Fultz?
The introduction of Fultz when he is healthy again might end up affecting the continued development of Anthony. It doesn’t need to come down to choosing between one of these guys, but the feeling up until recently has always been that Anthony may work best as an overqualified sixth man who snarls his way to consistent scoring while setting the tone for the second unit.
However, because of injuries Anthony has started every game so far this year and has seen his personal playing time go up six minutes from a year ago (27.1 to 33.1). It also feels like Anthony is reveling in having a heavier load to carry as Suggs finds his feet. RJ Hampton has flattered to deceive thus far, placing even more onus on Anthony to get things done.
His style of play in running a team is different from Fultz’s. There is more manic energy compared to the smooth and fluid play of Fultz, but that unpredictably has perks in how it makes opponents uncertain. Choosing between the different styles of Fultz and Anthony may be an important decision when the time comes.
For now, though, fans can simply enjoy the fact that a recent lottery pick, and one who came later than most of their other selections, looks as though he is really going to work out for them.
Defensively, there is still plenty to work on as well, although the way in which Anthony attacks on that end is promising. It may be that he ends up being the most balanced two-way player of the current guard rotation.
Leading the Magic in scoring and assists, as well as placing third currently in rebounding (7.4 a night, which again speaks to that tenacity) is exactly the kind of start the organization would have wanted from Cole Anthony. The most promising thing of all is that this not only seems sustainable, but it could be a platform on which he will continue to build, no matter how many losses the team suffers this year.