Tag: cole anthony

Rookie of the Year Race: LaMelo Ball has jumped off to an early lead

After the strangest offseason in NBA history, this class of rookies has been thrust into an even tougher adjustment period than usual.

After the strangest offseason in NBA history, this class of rookies has been thrust into an even tougher adjustment period than usual.

Now that we have had five weeks to evaluate them, however, we have a much better idea of who the best rookies have been. LaMelo Ball has been leading the pack, but to get a better sense of who his competitors may be for Rookie of the Year, we surveyed our staff.

Like our weekly MVP rankings, every member of our team voted on their personal Top 10 rankings for Rookie of the Year. We averaged out the results to get a cumulative ranking from the HoopsHype staff.

Every month, we will release our updated rankings for the Rookie of the Year race.

All relevant statistics are accurate as of Feb. 1, 2021 and are pulled from Basketball-Reference, RealGM or NBA.com unless noted otherwise.

Without two key players, Pascal Siakam leads Raptors to win over Magic

Toronto quickly jumped on top of Orlando, and led for nearly the entire game on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak.

TAMPA, Fla. — Just two nights after Pascal Siakam criticized his team’s first-half effort in a loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Toronto Raptors came out of the gate on Sunday and set the tone early versus the Orlando Magic.

Siakam scored 30 points and 10 rebounds while Kyle Lowry, Terence Davis and DeAndre’ Bembry each chipped in 12 points to lead the Raptors to a 115-102 victory over the Magic to snap a three-game losing streak.

Toronto opened up with a 27-15 lead after the first quarter, and pushed that advantage to 14 points at halftime. Playing without OG Anunoby and Norm Powell, Toronto led for nearly the entirety of the game.

“We just came out ready to go,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said. “You could see it right from the defensive stand at the start. (We had) really good execution offensively and played pretty solidly throughout. There were really no dips in effort or energy.”

Siakam produced his second straight game with at least 30 points after tying a season-high 32 versus the Kings on Friday. The Raptors All-Star throughout the season has dealt with some minor injuries but appears to be on the mend with his last two performances.

“I think the biggest part for me is just to continue to work on my body and my game,” Siakam said. “I think for the past (few) weeks, I haven’t been feeling well with little injuries here and there. … I think if I feel good, I have that ability to go out there and just bring that energy every single night and live with the results.”

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Meanwhile, Magic rookie Cole Anthony scored a team-high 16 points while Nikola Vucevic had 15 points and Aaron Gordon contributed 14 points. Orlando briefly led in the first quarter, but quickly fell behind and never recovered.

The Magic endured yet another injury setback in the third quarter when Gordon was diagnosed with a left ankle injury and was ruled out of returning to the contest.

Gordon on two separate occasions was forced to the locker room, with the first time occurring during the second quarter after suffering a hyperextended knee when he was tangled up with Kyle Lowry. On the ensuing possession, Gordon checked Lowry with a shoulder and was assessed a flagrant-1 foul in what appeared to be a retaliation move following the incident.

“I have no update,” Magic head coach Steve Clifford said. “We’re actually lucky, by the way, that he didn’t get hurt worse in the first half with his knee with the Kyle Lowry, whatever you want to call it, block-out of the ball.”

Following the contest on Sunday, the two teams will meet again on Tuesday in Orlando.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Cole Anthony ‘glad’ to be in a groove again after shooting slump

Anthony on Monday produced a career-high 21 points to help the Magic to a victory over the Hornets.

Cole Anthony on Monday produced a career-high 21 points and five rebounds to help lead the Orlando Magic to a 117-108 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Anthony, who scored 10 points alone in the third quarter, hasn’t been shy about his shooting slump to begin the season, but the rookie may have put the worst of it behind him.

The 15th overall pick shot 8-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, in 31 minutes of work. Anthony, over his last six games, is converting on 60.9% (14-of-23) of his 3-point attempts with the Magic after hitting just 17.9% (7-of-39) prior to that point.

Anthony described the start of the season as rough, but expressed his happiness that he appears to have found a groove again on the floor after his recent performances.

“I had a little bit of a rough patch earlier in the season to shoot the ball struggling to really find a rhythm out there,” Anthony said. “That was definitely tough but I just persevered and stayed the course. I really locked in on the film and watched a lot of other NBA point guards play. My team kept confidence in me so I’m just thankful for everyone on the team. I’m glad to just be able to find a groove like this and, hopefully, I can keep building off of this.”

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The 20-year-old has often been his harshest critic and will be the first to admit when he didn’t play particularly well. Despite the struggles, the Magic continued to encourage him to shoot because he was eventually bound to snap out of his slump.

The process for Anthony has been a bit challenging this season, but he has continued to work and make plays for his teammates as he continues to improve each game.

“Every single time I step out there, I feel like I’m getting more comfortable just playing with everyone on the team,” Anthony said. “That means finding them in the open spots, where they like to catch the ball, etc. Then just getting used to the pace and flow of an NBA game. It’s fast and slow at the same time. You have to slow the game down in your mind but then at the same time, you gotta play fast.”

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Watch: Greg Anthony’s wholesome reaction to seeing Cole’s game-winner

The cameras were rolling and caught Greg Anthony’s reaction to his son, Cole, draining the game-winner for the Magic.

On Wednesday, Cole Anthony drained a game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the Orlando Magic to a 97-96 victory on the road over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Anthony finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists to help the Magic overcome a 20-point second-half deficit and pull off the improbable victory. Perhaps most importantly, the shot also snapped a six-game losing streak for the Magic

The 15th overall pick was instantly mobbed by his teammates on the court following the shot, and again back in the locker room, where he was drenched in water after arriving from his postgame TV interview.

The shot was also celebrated from afar by his father, Greg.

Of course, Greg works as a TV analyst for Turner Sports and played 11 years in the NBA, and was watching along as Cole hit the shot. Fortunately, the cameras were rolling and caught his reaction to the game-winner.

In addition to the buzzer-beater, Cole also hit another clutch 3-pointer on the previous possession to cut the deficit to two points. On the final play, Cole was in position and made it happen for his first career game-winning shot.

“It was awesome to see,” Greg said on NBA TV. “The team needed it and then just to see the reaction from the guys in a game where they just really did not look good for three quarters and to be able to come back and get the win. I’m just so happy for him and them.”

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Magic react to Cole Anthony’s game-winning, buzzer-beating shot

Anthony throughout his basketball career has hit a number of big shots, but the 3-pointer made on Wednesday was by far the biggest to date.

Cole Anthony throughout his basketball career has hit a number of big shots, but the 3-pointer made on Wednesday to send the Orlando Magic to a last-second win over the Minnesota Timberwolves was by far the biggest to date.

Anthony, playing in just his 15th game, drilled the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired to help the Magic snap a six-game losing streak with a 97-96 victory on the road. He finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes as the Magic overcame a 20-point second-half deficit.

With just 4.6 seconds left, and the Magic trailing by two points, Anthony fouled Jarred Vanderbilt. However, the Timberwolves forward missed both shots to set up the final play. Orlando had no timeouts remaining and, following the miss, Anthony eventually ended up with the ball after it tipped in his direction.

From there, instincts took over and Anthony hit the shot.

“I just saw the ball come to me,” Anthony said after the game. “I wasn’t really expecting to get it but I was just going to try to do whatever I could to help the team win. I grabbed the ball, drove to the corner like, ‘Alright, I’m not getting to the rim but I can shoot this 3.’ It felt good. I really didn’t even see the shot after I shot it. I saw it go through the net, that was about it.”

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Just moments before Anthony hit the shot, teammate James Ennis found him in the corner for another 3-pointer that brought the deficit to two points. After that shot, Ennis told Anthony to stay ready and keep shooting just in case he was in a position to make a play.

“I would say, the other [3-pointer] was just as big,” Magic head coach Steve Clifford said. “He is a confident guy. I thought tonight, before watching the film, that he played a much more complete game. He’ll get better. He has the right attitude and he is learning the NBA and he is making good progress.”

To start the season, Anthony has endured quite a shooting slump.

Entering play on Wednesday, the 15th overall pick was averaging 10.1 points on just 32.1% shooting from the field and 22.4% from 3-point range. The rookie is often his harshest critic, and, admittedly, hasn’t shot the ball particularly well to begin the season.

On Wednesday, Anthony went 5-of-7 from the field, while he converted all three of his 3-point attempts to complete his best-shooting night of the season.

His teammates have often been his biggest cheerleader this season, from the encouragement Ennis gave him during the game to the advice others have given him off of the court.

“That is going to boost his confidence,” teammate Evan Fournier said. “I’m happy for him. The kid is a worker. Like I said, the kid is a competitor. He is a worker. His time is going to come. Tonight was growth for him. I mean, I really couldn’t be happier for him.”

With his teammates cheering him on every step of the way, it was only right they mobbed him in the locker room as soon as he returned from his postgame TV interview.

While Anthony has been his own harshest critic, the rest of the Magic believe in him.

They have often encouraged him to continue to play his game because he can still make plays for others, even if his shots are not falling. They have played an important role in helping Anthony begin his rookie campaign, and the 20-year-old has been very appreciative of their efforts.

“Everybody on the team has been really supportive of me from Day 1,” Anthony said. “I have struggled a lot, obviously, and no one has really blamed me for anything. They are just like, ‘Stay the course, you’re a rookie. Keep learning, keep getting better.’

“I just want to give a big shout out to everybody on the team. Everyone has been extremely supportive. There has not been one player on the team that hasn’t helped me out in some way.”

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: LaMelo Ball, and the rise of Tyrese Maxey

Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players from the opening month of the 2020-21 season.

With the first month of the season in the books, there have been some spectacular individual performances from players around the league. From Stephen Curry dropping a career-high 62 points to Tyrese Maxey scoring 39 points in his 10th NBA game, players have shown out.

The ongoing circumstances surrounding the season, with players in and out of the lineup, have created a great need for teams’ depth. As a result, several rookie players have had the chance to play extended minutes, and they have seemingly made the most of those opportunities.

The latest installment of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings features some of those first-year players that have had the opportunity to play more than they likely would have in normal conditions, while the other top rookies also make an appearance.

Rookie Wire will keep an eye on the class on a bi-weekly basis to keep track of the top first-year players and how they performed on the court. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.

Magic still see Cole Anthony contributing despite shooting slump

Anthony is mired in a rough shooting slump, but his teammates still see him contributing while on the court.

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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Mo Bamba pulled up to play the Rockets wearing a Cole Anthony shirt

Magic center Mo Bamba hilariously arrived at the arena donning a shirt honoring rookie teammate, and friend, Cole Anthony.

Prior to facing the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba hilariously arrived at the Toyota Center on Friday donning a shirt honoring rookie teammate, and friend, Cole Anthony.

Bamba and Anthony were AAU teammates on PSA Cardinals in New York during the summer of 2016 and have stayed close since then. Of course, the two are now teammates once again and have enjoyed their time together so far with the Magic — at least, we think so.

When Anthony was drafted by the Magic, Bamba told him he would pick him up from the airport in Orlando but, as Anthony later said, that never happened. Now, at least, Bamba is showing Anthony some love, this time in t-shirt form.

Anthony approved of the shirt Bamba picked out.

The two were in constant communication in the days leading up to the draft. Bamba would joke with Anthony that the Magic would take him and it finally became real once Anthony was still on the board when Orlando was on the clock.

Anthony now has been thrust into the starting lineup with Markelle Fultz out for the rest of the year with a torn ACL. The game versus the Rockets will be his first career start so, perhaps, the shirt by Bamba will bring some good luck to Anthony and the Magic.

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Steve Clifford: Cole Anthony will start in place of Markelle Fultz

The Magic will turn to Anthony with starting point guard Markelle Fultz ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL.

On Friday, rookie Cole Anthony will earn the first start of his NBA career when the Orlando Magic travel to play the Houston Rockets to begin a two-game road trip.

The Magic will turn to Anthony with starting point guard Markelle Fultz ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn left ACL on Wednesday versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Cole will start,” Magic head coach Steve Clifford said on Thursday. “We’re looking at some other things, some bigger lineups. We’re kind of in process of doing that. We had a long staff meeting this morning about it. There are a lot of things to consider. Some of it could be game by game but Cole, in my opinion, is the starter right now. I think he is ready to take it and grow with it and we all have great confidence in him.”

Anthony produced eight points, four rebounds and three assists in a season-high 32 minutes of work on Wednesday in place of Fultz. He had only topped the 30-minute once prior to Wednesday, in a blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on New Year’s Eve, but the increased workload will certainly be a precursor of things to come.

Despite playing in just eight games to this point of his career, the team is confident that Anthony will be able to step in and perform well in place of Fultz.

“He is built for this,” Terrence Ross said. “He is not shy of any moment. He’s a tough kid. He is improving really fast. He is picking everything up. It’s going to take some time but you gotta go through it. That’s how everybody goes through it when they first get into the league.”

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‘He’s built for this’: Magic confident Cole Anthony can step in for Fultz

Magic point guard Markelle Fultz will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, but the team is confident Cole Anthony can fill his role.

Orlando Magic rookie Cole Anthony has played mostly a sixth man role off the bench to this point of the season, but that figures to change following the news that surfaced on Wednesday night.

The Magic announced following a 105-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers that starting point guard Markelle Fultz suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Fultz attempted to plant on his left knee early in the first quarter but, instead, his leg gave out and he went crashing onto the court. He was carted off back to the locker room in a wheelchair and immediately underwent an MRI.

The news immediately sent shockwaves throughout the team and the rest of the NBA.

Of course, Fultz played just 33 games over the first two years of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers due to a shoulder injury. He had finally been healthy, appearing in 72 games last season with the Magic while averaging 12.1 points per game. He started off this season on track to have his best year yet but will now miss the remainder of it, seemingly, as quickly as it started.

Following the game, teammate Terrence Ross was shocked to hear the prognosis of Fultz and was initially speechless during his press conference with reporters.

“I mean, it sucks. It’s not good news,” Ross said. “But if anybody can handle this, it’s ‘Kelle. He has the heart of a lion. He’s super talented, always positive. I know he’ll be able to handle this. We all got his back, we will all be here for him. You hate to see this, especially for a guy who already fought through so much and came back and was ballin’ and now this. It’s just one of those things, it’s going to make him stronger. He is going to come back from that, I have no doubt.”

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In place of Fultz, the Magic turned to Anthony, who produced eight points, four assists and three assists in a season-high 32 minutes of work. The increased workload will certainly be a precursor of things to come with Fultz now out.

Anthony had only played over 30 minutes once this season prior to Wednesday night — a blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on New Year’s Eve. He was typically among the first players off the bench and performed well in that role but will now be thrown into the fire and play an extensive role for a team that has started off with a 6-2 record and is second in the Eastern Conference.

Despite being only eight games into his NBA career, his Magic teammates are confident that Anthony will be able to rise to the occasion in place of Fultz.

“He is built for this,” Ross said. “He is not shy of any moment. He’s a tough kid. He is improving really fast. He is picking everything up. It’s going to take some time but you gotta go through it. That’s how everybody goes through it when they first get into the league. They gotta figure out where they are, figure out how they can contribute every single night. It’s going to help him grow up a little faster. It’s all about how he handles it but I think he will do well.”

Unfortunately, Anthony is in the midst of a brutal offensive slump. He is converting on 30.3% of his shots from the field, including 19% from 3-point range. When asked if he feels prepared to take over for Fultz, Anthony said he is ready but playfully added that it would help if he could start making a shot or two on the court.

Despite the offensive woes, Anthony has managed to stay productive on the court due to his defensive activity and ability to make plays. Anthony has drawn four charges this season, which is tied for third-most in the NBA, while he is also seventh in charges drawn per game. He earned praise from Magic head coach Steve Clifford for his defensive activity and willingness to seek contact on that end of the floor.

That, as Anthony said after the game, is completely by design.

“I compete so, I mean, I take it personal when I see someone who is trying to get a bucket on me,” Anthony said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. In turn, that is going to help the team. They see that if I set the tone by pressuring my defender, that is going to make them want to go pressure their defender, too. It’s a chain reaction. As a team, we just get better defensive like that so I’m going to do everything I can on my part to do that.”

The loss of Fultz will undoubtedly hurt the Magic this season, and further test their depth.

The team is already dealing with injuries to Evan Fournier and Michael Carter-Williams in the backcourt, and the Fultz news further exacerbates that issue. Anthony will certainly have his fair share of growing pains, but the team is confident that Anthony can step in and help immediately.

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