To be very clear, Cole Anthony is much too talented to be picked at the end of the top-ten. However, the way the current order sits there are simply more point guards on the board than there are teams that need them.
Anthony was the top lead guard in the country out of high school and could very well end up as the first point guard taken in this draft, which is a major testament to his ability as a player considering how deep the position is.
Oklahoma City is likely to finish higher in the draft order than ten, but in this situation snagging Anthony would be an absolute steal. Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played the point guard position in Los Angeles, he has moved over to the two for the Thunder and has excelled there.
Thus, adding the North Carolina guard would be a phenomenal mix of best player available and positional need to take over for Chris Paul.
With regard to his skills, Anthony excels greatly as a downhill player and passer. He is a great finisher who has the ability to play above the rim as well. His speed, explosiveness, and ball handling are what sets him apart from other players. One thing he needs to work on is his jump shooting, but many scouts have faith that he will be able to develop one.
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The last French point guard to be taken in the lottery did not work out so well, but the Magic will hope that Theo Maledon will find more NBA success than Frank Ntilikina. Maledon is a 6-foot-4 point guard who shows serious potential.
He has the ability to shoot the deep ball well and distribute the basketball to his teammates. Maledon’s size at the point guard position shows defensive promise, and it is known that Orlando is very attracted to long players.
Perhaps the biggest problem with Maledon is his aggressiveness. He is not an extremely confident player, which makes sense due to the fact that he is playing as an eighteen-year-old in the world’s second most competitive basketball league.
His handle also needs to tighten up along with his turnovers. His sample size will be very small for scouts to interpret, which goes for many young EuroLeague prospects. Thus, his evaluation will be off of pure potential.
Orlando has been in desperate need of a point guard for the past three seasons and has continually had poor luck in draft positioning, leading to a very weak lead guard situation for the Magic.
This draft can certainly change that for Orlando, as there are plenty to choose from here. In addition, the Magic front office has shown that they are willing to take on project players such as Jonathan Isaac, Mo Bamba, and Chuma Okeke.