Road to Cole Anthony

mafra

Legend
2. New York Knicks- Cole Anthony, G, North Carolina

Despite losing out on the top overall pick, the Knicks end up with the player some peg to be the best coming out of this draft. While RJ Barrett and Cole Anthony have overlapping skillsets (similar to Collin Sexton and Darius Garland in Cleveland), there's no doubt they'd be electric offensively and would light up the Garden on a nightly basis. Anthony can score from anywhere on the floor and has the look of a long-time professional getter of buckets. The fit could be better, but the Knicks sell excitement in place of success, and Anthony brings that in spades.

https://www.thebiglead.com/amp/posts/2020-nba-mock-draft-01dsdhwe2p8c
 
2. New York Knicks- Cole Anthony, G, North Carolina

Despite losing out on the top overall pick, the Knicks end up with the player some peg to be the best coming out of this draft. While RJ Barrett and Cole Anthony have overlapping skillsets (similar to Collin Sexton and Darius Garland in Cleveland), there's no doubt they'd be electric offensively and would light up the Garden on a nightly basis. Anthony can score from anywhere on the floor and has the look of a long-time professional getter of buckets. The fit could be better, but the Knicks sell excitement in place of success, and Anthony brings that in spades.

https://www.thebiglead.com/amp/posts/2020-nba-mock-draft-01dsdhwe2p8c

Steph Curry, KAT, Trae Young/Doncic, Zion...the more we want the guy the more impossible it will be that we will get the pick to get him. We are cursed (by our own franchise?s incompetence).
 

tiger0330

Legend
A less than positive article on Cole who is out with a knee injury. I’d pass if I were the Knicks. Couldn’t post the entire article because of the malware software running on KOL but the bottom line is they think Anthony is better picked in the bottom of the first round and not as a lottery pick.
  • Schmitz

What's the latest on the 2020 NBA draft stock of North Carolina point guard Cole Anthony?
Earlier this month, Anthony was ruled out for four to six weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee. At the time, he was the No. 4 prospect in our draft rankings. Since then, we've dropped him to No. 6 in our top Is Anthony a real No. 1 pick contender, or should teams be worried about his lack of offensive efficiency and impact on winning? What will NBA teams be watching for when he returns, and what will it mean if he doesn't play another college game?
Our NBA draft experts Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz answer six big questions about Anthony.

More: Top 100 NBA draft rankings

How do NBA teams view Anthony?
Anthony has always been a bit of a tough sell for some scouts because at times he demonstrates a ball-dominant style of play with questionable shots, head-down drives and lapses defensively. His high school and AAU teams almost always underachieved relative to their talent, and there have long been questions about how much his teammates like playing with him.
If that was your perception going into the season -- and it's a belief held by quite a few NBA scouts -- then nothing Anthony showed at North Carolina was particularly surprising or encouraging.
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Still, you have to respect Anthony's scoring instincts and his ability to put pressure on defenses with his size, strength and power changing speeds. He shows toughness crashing the defensive glass, getting to the free throw line and at times locking up opposing point guards. In many ways, he is built for the modern NBA with his ability to play both guard spots, make shots off the catch or off the dribble and push in the open floor. Even his biggest detractors would say he is a near lock to put up major scoring numbers.
The real questions have always revolved around his ability to contribute to winning basketball. However, no NBA executive we've spoken with expects Anthony to undergo the same type of free fall that fellow UNC product Nassir Little experienced in last year's draft. (Little started off the season as a projected top-five pick and slid to No. 25 on draft night.) But the possibility of Anthony being surpassed by players such as the NBL's RJ Hampton, Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton and Arizona's Nico Mannion on his way to the latter portion of the lottery is certainly in play.
We have a long way to go until June. How Anthony looks upon his return to action (either in a UNC jersey or during the pre-draft process) will go a long way in deciding where he ultimately ends up. -- Givony
Will Anthony play for UNC again?
It depends on whom you ask. Sources say that North Carolina's coaching staff completely expects Anthony to make a full recovery and return to the lineup upon being cleared. There has been nothing to suggest Anthony is planning on any other outcome.
But it's difficult to find a single NBA scout who believes things will actually materialize in that fashion. More and more highly touted prospects such as Anthony are choosing to err on the side of caution and not risk further injury (or poor play) that could jeopardize their draft stock and future earnings.
A four-week recovery timeline would have Anthony back on the floor in time for North Carolina's road game on Jan. 18 against Pitt. The Tar Heels are currently 7-5 but won't play a single surefire NCAA tournament team until Feb. 3 -- a road game against Florida State that would mark seven weeks since Anthony's surgery. UNC's ability to stay afloat in the tournament conversation may go a long way in helping Anthony decide whether to risk returning. -- Givony
What are Anthony's elite skills, and how will they translate to the NBA?
Anthony's elite scoring instincts and unwavering confidence give him a clear role as a bucket-getting guard should the rest of his skills stagnate (an unlikely outcome). Anthony is one of the most prolific scorers in Nike EYBL history, averaging 26.8 PPG while shooting 38% from 3 over 21 EYBL games, according to D1 Circuit. His ability to knock down transition pull-ups, put pressure on the rim in the open court and score from all three levels in pick-and-roll have definite value in the NBA.

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That scoring attack starts with his off-the-dribble shooting. Although streaky, he has shown the ability to get to his pull-up at will, utilizing step-backs to his left, hang dribbles and simple rise-and-fire midrangers. He forces teams to go over screens with his range, then punishes drop coverages, which should come to life more with NBA spacing. The fact that he's a career 86% free throw shooter on over 660 attempts (according to Krossover) should instill confidence among NBA teams that his shot-making will translate. He's clearly at his best with the ball in his hands, but he's also comfortable shooting off the catch. That will allow him to fit in multiguard lineups, unlike athletic scoring guards before him such as Dennis Smith Jr.
For Anthony to fully tap into his potential at the highest level, though, he'll have to improve as a finisher. At the high school level, he relied so much on his then-superior leaping ability and physicality by barreling into rim protectors and drawing fouls. He's found some success doing exactly that in the NCAA, but when the level of competition rises and the whistles dry up, his lack of finesse shows. He's converted just nine shots in 35 at-rim finishes and floaters in the half court, a historically low number for a top-10-caliber prospect. So there's real reason to fear that Anthony will end up as an inefficient scorer who doesn't always make those around him better.
Anthony does have potential to move the needle on the defensive end, as highlighted by this monster block against Oregon:

play0:41
Anthony elevates to swat Juiston's dunk

Oregon's Shakur Juiston rises up to put down a fast-break dunk, but Cole Anthony rises higher and completely rejects Juiston.


Point guards generally tend to struggle adjusting to the NBA on defense, especially those without elite size or length like Anthony. He's been far from perfect at the point of attack and off the ball this season, but his competitive nature, quick feet/hands and rebounding feel should allow him to hold his own at the next level. While he may not be a bona fide stopper and does get lost away from the action at times, he generally has sharp anticipation as a rover, and his willingness to crash the glass goes a long way for teams that like to switch. That's an area where a guard such as Nico Mannion adds little value. -- Schmitz
Have NBA scouts seen enough from Anthony already?
The complicating factor in Anthony's decision to return or prepare for the draft is the fact that he did not play particularly well in his nine college games. He shot just 37.8% from 2-point range and averaged more turnovers than assists. UNC was 6-3 in that span, with just a single win over a top-60 opponent.
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Anthony's collegiate production tells an alarming story, as the list of NBA draft picks to shoot under 40% from 2-point range with a negative assist-to-turnover ratio over the past 40 years is extremely poor, consisting of only Syracuse's Malachi Richardson and Duke's Cam Reddish. Neither comp inspires much confidence.
Anthony's porous offensive efficiency, the lack of impact he had on winning, the plethora of guard alternatives in this draft class and the background intel on his locker-room impact might necessitate a return to the floor for Anthony to become a guaranteed top-five pick. Basketball industry sources told ESPN that Anthony will be entering his sneaker negotiations with little to no momentum should his college career be over, which would cost him quite a bit of money on top of whatever he could already lose by potentially dropping in the draft.



 
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mafra

Legend
Cole?s stock is down... but tough to call... Anyway, I?m so afraid bc LaMelo Ball is rising... just what we need, a non-athletic, non-shooting starter to pair with RJ and MRob.

Good news is there are a ton of PGs...

Do we go Edwards or Wiseman? Do we trade? Hmm...

I wouldn?t mind targeting a young player and dangling this pick... who knows. Long way to go.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
MitchRob are the Knicks best young-core player on the roster, MRob sealing is future All-Star player.
RJ Barrett are being handled wrong to become a poor passing ball-hog guard.
The Knicks poor loser coaching-staff need a veteran leadership PG .. A Chris Paul to come in and give the Knick team a direction.
Other than Dolan's puppet-coaches!
Julius Randle being the Knicks number one option on offense, and the director of the offense has become hilarious and unwatchable holding a 8-24 record.
 
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