Tag: cole anthony

UNC’s Cole Anthony: would be ‘blessing’ if drafted by Boston Celtics

North Carolina point guard prospect Cole Anthony thinks a chance to play with and learn from Kemba Walker would be a blessing.

The Boston Celtics might be looking in the 2020 NBA draft to add a point guard with enough upside to one day replace Kemba Walker — but also enough skill now to back him up this coming season as the team attempts to assemble a contender.

And as an institution, they tend to trust scouting over many years with a given prospect over a bad season or injury history, making North Carolina point guard product Cole Anthony a possible fit, depending on how the franchise sees his potential.

A top recruit coming out of high school with an NBA pedigree (his dad Greg Anthony played for several teams in the 1990s, such as Pat Riley’s New York Knicks), Anthony had a rough sole season with the Tar Heels, tearing a meniscus midway through the season.

He’s since recovered, but his stock has slipped in most mock drafts, which place him anywhere from just outside of the lottery to as late as the 19th pick of the draft.

While he hasn’t worked out with Boston, he did meet with them virtually ahead of the draft, and shared his thoughts about his fit if they did end up selecting him.

“That’d be stepping on to a team that could very easily have made the finals this year,” began Anthony.

“I know they’re super talented, they’re young,” said Anthony. “Obviously Kemba is there right now. Being able to play with someone like that and learn from them would be awesome and a blessing, so that would be pretty cool.”

His high-energy, offensive-oriented play has his floor projected as a backup, but his efficiency long-term will determine whether he ends up ascending to higher heights, some even seeing some star potential should his game pan out and his knee stay healthy.

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Cole Anthony upset with apparent reputation as a ‘bad’ teammate

Anthony on Friday denied the apparent notion that he was considered a bad teammate during his time at North Carolina last season.

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Projected first-round pick Cole Anthony on Friday denied the apparent notion that he was labeled as a bad teammate during his time at North Carolina last season.

Anthony has been knocked some during the pre-draft process for being a problem in the locker room last season following an inconsistent showing. He was often criticized throughout the season when things were bad and those questions have been front and center prior to the NBA draft.

The 20-year-old said during his pre-draft media availability that nearly every team he has interviewed with has asked him about his reputation. Anthony vehemently denied the accusations and told reporters the rumors are simply not true.

“It’s very much false,” Anthony said. “If you base it off my play and say I made a lot of bad decisions, you might think I’m a bad teammate. I respect your opinion but I’m just going to say it’s wrong; it’s incorrect. I’m a super supportive guy. I want to see all of my teammates succeed as much as I want to see myself succeed, if not more. I don’t know where the narrative comes from but it is what it is.”

Anthony averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, four assists and 1.3 steals in 22 games with the Tar Heels but experienced a disappointing season. He dealt with an injury that derailed his season a bit and likely helped fuel the rumors regarding his locker room presence.

While his reputation took a hit, several of his teammates defended him on social media last month and disagreed with the notion that he was a negative influence on the team. From Jawad Williams to Armando Bacot, they each agreed Anthony was a great person to be around.

As far as his interviews with teams, Anthony said that he has met virtually with several, including the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, and has worked out privately with the Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. He will also speak with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The NBA draft is scheduled to begin on Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN.

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Cole Anthony had draft interview with Sixers, upset with reputation

North Carolina’s guard Cole Anthony has interviewed with the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the draft.

As the 2020 NBA draft continues to approach fast and teams are beginning to get their final list together for their prospects.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been doing their due diligence in terms of what their plan will be for the draft and one guy on the radar is North Carolina’s Cole Anthony who is a guy who fills some needs.

He can shoot it well from deep, he can put the ball on the floor, and he can also play some defense on the other end. He checks off a few of the boxes that the Sixers need in this draft and that is why he revealed he had a draft interview with them.

“I had a good Zoom call with the 76ers, recently,” said Anthony. “It was good. It was really good.”

The Sixers could go after him at 21 and that is why Anthony is excited about the possibility of playing in Philadelphia. Not only do they have supreme talent in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, but they also have an excellent coach in Doc Rivers.

“That’s a great coach right there,” Anthony explained. “He’s an NBA champion, he’s a legend right there. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

In terms of his fit next to Simmons and Embiid, he shot 34.8% from deep, but that is mostly due to the fact that he was dealing with the effects of knee surgery he underwent in December. He feels confident that he can improve on that and fit well.

“I think I would fit really well with them,” he added. “Just playing with Ben Simmons, being another guard who can rebound, but also shoot, create his own shot, and create for others. Whether it’s hitting Ben in transition or just being in the pick-and-roll situation with Joel, I think it would be a really great fit there.”

The one red flag surrounding Anthony is that he was a bad teammate. There have been rumors floating around that he was an issue in the locker room and he shot those rumors down about his reputation.

“It’s very much false. If you base it off my play and say I made a lot of bad decisions, you might think I’m a bad teammate. I’m a super supportive guy, I want to see all my teammates succeed as much as I want to see myself succeed, if not more. I don’t know where the narrative comes from, but it is what it is.” [lawrence-related id=39078,39074,39068]

Sixers 2020 NBA mock draft: taking Cole Anthony with talks of trading pick

A new mock draft has the Philadelphia 76ers selecting Cole Anthony from North Carolina while also talking about trading the pick.

The 2020 NBA draft is now eight days away and now is the time for the final preparation on things to get ready for the day. For the Philadelphia 76ers, that means anything and everything is on the table in order to improve the roster.

The Sixers will enter this draft with the 21st pick in Round 1 they received from the Oklahoma City Thunder, but there is no guarantee they make that selection. New president Daryl Morey is one who is known for making bold moves and the possibility of trading their first-round pick is on the table.

In a new mock draft performed by The Athletic’s John Hollinger, he has the Sixers selecting North Carolina guard Cole Anthony, but he also has a mention that the pick is being included in trade talks.

Hollinger on the Sixers’ draft situation:

Anthony’s stock is definitely sinking, but at this point in the draft it might be an overreaction. He can create shots and is a pretty decent shooter from distance, two things that are in extremely short supply in Philly. The Sixers are in win-now mode, and Anthony might be able to give them bench scoring immediately. Also, analytics models that weigh AAU production would likely show Anthony as undervalued at this point.

This pick is also very much for sale if it returns the right player, but even if it moves I could see another team grabbing the value proposition on Anthony at 21.

In order for the Sixers to make any type of big move when it comes to their big contracts like Tobias Harris or Al Horford, they will definitely have to include the first-round pick to move the deal. That is why there is no guarantee that this pick gets made by Philadelphia.

In terms of Anthony as a player, he does bring a lot of what the Sixers need. He is a good perimeter scorer, he can shoot it from deep, he is a solid ball-handler, and he is also a guy who can get after it on defense. He would be a solid addition to this team right now. [lawrence-related id=38958,38962,38956]

NBA draft: Player comparisons for projected first-rounders

One of the most compelling ways to quickly study any draft class is to look at the NBA comparisons for all of the prospects available.

One of the most compelling ways to quickly study any draft class is to look at the NBA comparisons for all of the prospects available.

Now that the 2020 NBA draft is less than two weeks ago, all of the folks looking for a crash course in learning more about the players that will be available for selection can use this as a guide for the potential outlook of each projected first-round draft pick.

This exercise is far from foolproof, of course, considering that outcomes for each prospect will depend heavily on the teams that draft them as well as the roles they are given and the development process that surrounds them.

But this does give a sense of the archetype that each top prospect fits in so casual fans can get a more succinct view of the next generation entering the league.

While our own opinion was also included, we also studied comparison models and surveyed other experts, including conversations with NBA scouts around the league, to give the best context available. The results included were the most common responses.

NOTE: All comparisons pulled from NBADraftcomp.herokuapp.com are based on statistics per 40 minutes. 

2020 NBA aggregate mock draft 8.0: Draft day ranges for top prospects

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done. 

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done.

We looked at mock drafts from NBADraft.net, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, The Ringer, Stadium, SI.com, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire, USA Today and Yahoo to give us a more clear understanding of consensus rankings and projections.

This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.

Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.

The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

2020 NBA aggregate mock draft 8.0: Draft day ranges for top prospects

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done. 

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done.

We looked at mock drafts from NBADraft.net, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, The Ringer, Stadium, SI.com, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire, USA Today and Yahoo to give us a more clear understanding of consensus rankings and projections.

This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.

Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.

The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

Sixers 2020 NBA mock draft: Cole Anthony continues to pop up at 21

North Carolina guard Cole Anthony has been mocked to the Philadelphia 76ers at 21.

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The Philadelphia 76ers have a first-round pick in this 2020 draft due to the success of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The pick was top-20 protected in this draft, but the Thunder won just enough games to have the pick convey at 21 for Philadelphia.

So, with this pick, the Sixers have some obvious needs. They need some shooting on their roster and they also need somebody who can put the ball on the floor and create some offense. Why not get a guy who can do both?

The Ringer has put out their most recent mock draft and they have the Sixers selecting North Carolina guard Cole Anthony.

The Ringer on the pick:

Anthony is a polarizing prospect, but he undeniably brings the type of perimeter creation skills that the Sixers desperately need to maximize the abilities of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Talented shooter. He knows how to relocate off-ball, balance himself midair, and drain off-the-catch 3s. Constant threat to score thanks to his ability to hit stepbacks and pull-ups from all over the floor.

Anthony shot 34.8% from deep during his freshman season with the Tar Heels and he also got to the free-throw line 5.8 times per game to average 18.5 points. On top of that, he averaged 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals so he has shown off his versatility. There is a lot to like about his game and he has become somebody to watch for the Sixers with this first-round pick. [lawrence-related id=38641,38638,38635]

Sixers 2020 NBA mock draft: Cole Anthony becoming a sleeper pick

A new sleeper pick for the Philadelphia 76ers and the 2020 NBA Draft is North Carolina’s Cole Anthony.

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As the Philadelphia 76ers enter the 2020 NBA Draft, they have some options with the number 21 pick. The team obviously has their needs with guard being at the top of the list.

The Sixers need more help in terms of guard play and people who can put the ball on the floor and be able to make plays for himself and others. There have been times when Philadelphia’s offense bogs down due to the fact that they have very little playmakers and shooters on their team.

The more popular picks have been Stanford’s Tyrell Terry and TCU’s Desmond Bane after they interviewed both players, but there has been one player recently who has popped up on the mock radar and that is North Carolina’s Cole Anthony.

In a mock draft performed by Sports Illustrated, they have Anthony mocked to the Sixers at 21:

The Sixers will have to get creative to substantially tinker with the roster this offseason, but this pick presents a good opportunity to grab a player on the cheap who might become a piece. Guard depth has been an issue for Philly, and Anthony would be a solid on-court fit here as a guard who can play on or off the ball with Ben Simmons. But Anthony’s draft stock has been as difficult to peg as any prospect in the draft over the past year, and his range remains wide with a month to go, beginning in the late teens and ending toward the back of the first round. Teams have myriad concerns surrounding his lone season at North Carolina, and he’ll need to work on shot selection and be willing to acclimate into a smaller role to maximize his chances of success.

Anthony is an interesting choice because his stats on paper seem a bit unimpressive. He only shot 38% from the floor overall and he shot 34.8% from deep, but his aggressiveness should be something that general manager Elton Brand should focus on. He is not afraid of any big moments and he is a guy who can really help this Sixers team find some offense off the dribble. [lawrence-related id=38452,38449,38436]