Striking a balance
Rookie point guard Anthony showing progress as both facilitator and scorer
The first set of offensive sequences during Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks showed pieces of the progress Orlando Magic point guard Cole Anthony has made his rookie season.
During the team’s first possession, Anthony came off a high pick-and-roll from teammate Wendell Carter Jr. and dribbled his way into the lane. Anthony drew the defense and threw a pass back to Carter for a catch-andshoot attempt from the 3-point line. Carter drained the shot.
A few minutes later, Anthony took a handoff from Carter as the two engaged in a pick-androll sequence near the left elbow. Hawks center Clint Capela dropped into the lane while Hawks guard Trae Young trailed Anthony after getting screened by Carter. Anthony took a second to size up Capela, then, with Young on his hip, quickly rose up and lofted a soft 16-foot jumper that found its mark.
There was a time earlier this season when Anthony likely would have pushed himself too
deep into the defense on those plays, then found himself with nowhere to go or facing a highly contested shot. Those first-quarter plays against the Hawks show a level of Anthony’s progression, but certainly don’t tell the whole story. That is still an incomplete chapter as Anthony looks for further development over the Magic’s final 14 regular-season games.
The next game for Anthony and the Magic (18-40) comes Thursday when they will take on Zion Williamson and the Pelicans at Amway Center. The game tips off at 7 p.m. with a broadcast on Bally Sports Florida.
Of course, the Magic are eager to see improvement from all of their players, especially the younger ones, down the stretch, but Anthony’s growth is arguably more crucial considering how much he’ll potentially handle the ball and run the offense moving forward.
What you can see is that Anthony plays with determination and a hard-nosed mentality. His patience and playmaking skills are still being polished, but they are starting to show. His decision-making is improving and he’s developing a balance between facilitator and scorer.
Anthony missed 25 games after sustaining a fractured rib Feb. 9 in Portland before returning to the lineup April 7. In the eight games since, Anthony has averaged 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 40.8% overall and 21.9% from the 3-point line.
Anthony averaged 11.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 37.8% overall and 33.3% from 3 in the 25 games before he was hurt — 17 of them starting for the injured Markelle Fultz.
Anthony said since his return he’s made strides in figuring out the game and that it’s slowing down for him. He said he understands winning is important and should be the goal, but getting better also is a priority for a team with such a young roster.
“I’d like to see us grow as a team,” Anthony said after Tuesday’s road loss. “These past games, we’ve had some really good stretches even like up to three quarters in a game where we play our tails off and we have just one quarter or not even a full quarter where we relax and catch our breath and that’s when the other team pounces on us. I’d like to see us put a full complete game together and hopefully result in a win.”
While he’s struggled to regain some of his 3-point shooting since coming back, Anthony continues to show an ability to attack the basket. He’s not afraid to confront bigger players at the rim and has shown he can score around them and sometimes over them.
Anthony, who is averaging 12.4 drives in his past eight games, was 4-of-5 on shots at the rim against the Hawks.
With Michael Carter-Williams out with a sprained ankle, Anthony has returned to the starting point guard spot. In starting the past three games, Anthony has averaged a team-high 31.4 minutes, and that playing time should only serve to help his development more.