Before taking over as the starting point guard of the Orlando Magic, Cole Anthony said he was fully prepared for the opportunity, though he playfully added that it would help if he could make a shot.
Yes, the rookie is mired in a rough shooting slump this season but his teammates still have confidence in his ability to contribute to the team on the court.
On the season, Anthony is averaging 9.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 11 games with the Magic. He is shooting 31.5% from the field and 18.2% (6-of-33) from 3-point range to this point of the season.
Anthony was thrust into the starting lineup on Jan. 8 after it was announced that Markelle Fultz would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Since taking over, his production has increased from 8.6 to 11.7 points per game but his shooting numbers have mostly remained the same.
Despite the low shooting percentage, Aaron Gordon said on Thursday that he believes Anthony is still producing for the Magic.
I don’t think Cole is struggling right now. I don’t see it like that. I think he is being aggressive. I think he is picking his spots. I think it takes some time to really find a level of comfort but he is making the shots he needs to make. He is keeping the defense honest. That’s not all you can ask for, but that’s a lot of the game as a rookie is just keeping the defense honest. Guards are still chasing him over screens because he knocking down that 3-ball enough until he finds a rhythm, a comfort level.
Anthony has often been his biggest critic this season. He demands a certain level of production from himself on the court and that has been evident to the Magic. While that may be the case, the circumstances surrounding this season also haven’t made for an easy transition.
Of course, teams had a shortened training camp to prepare for the season and have had little practice time due to the condensed schedule. Anthony, like all rookies, didn’t have the luxury of a normal offseason to play in Summer League and training camp so it is taking some additional time to adjust to the NBA game.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic saw sporadic playing time as a rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2011-12 season and knows firsthand what Anthony is dealing with. Given his own experience, Vucevic reassured Anthony to be patient with the process.
He tends to be really hard on himself, which is good in a way to keep pushing yourself and to keep wanting more from yourself but, at the same time, I just told him that he is coming into the league at a very difficult time when he didn’t have Summer League, a full training camp or anytime to really get accustomed to everything. … You’re in a position where you are going to play against all the best players in this league at point guard, especially now that you have to start. You just have to be patient, keep working, keep doing what you’re doing and things will be better.
While Anthony is dealing with his own struggles, the Magic as a team have gone cold as of late, dropping three straight games after a strong 6-2 start to the season.
Prior to this week, the group hadn’t had the opportunity to really practice since changing the starting lineup but finally had the chance recently after their game on Wednesday versus Boston was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Celtics.
The practice on Thursday gave players the opportunity to prepare for their new roles moving forward so the team is hopeful that can lead to better results on the court.
Perhaps a day or two off can also be what’s needed for Anthony to snap out of his slump.
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