NBA Draft Preview: Kings must consider Cole Anthony despite awkward fit with Fox
The Sacramento Kings were not graced with any luck in last month’s NBA draft lottery, so they will have to create good fortune for themselves by making the right selection with pick No. 12.
Most models suggest Patrick Williams, Aaron Nesmith and Saddiq Bey are the favorites to draw Sacramento’s eye just outside of the top 10. All three would work nicely with star point guard De’Aaron Fox, who feels like the only untouchable piece on the Kings.
But Cole Anthony has emerged as another candidate late in the lottery after falling from top-three status at the beginning of the season. He is one of the most divisive names among prospect evaluators, and he would be extra divisive in Sacramento considering he plays the same position as Fox. Despite any overlap, the raw talent is hard to ignore.
The biggest question with Anthony is how many teams will be scared off by an inefficient freshman season at the University of North Carolina, and how many will see through his recent struggles to the elite prospect he was coming out of high school.
STRENGTHS
Anthony is one of the best shot-creators in his class. His handle is tight and tricky. He uses complex crossovers and step-backs to get to his spot. Anthony was stellar in isolation plays at North Carolina, where he made 44.7% of his shots. He’s also excellent at drawing fouls in those situations by getting defenders to bite on his fakes.
There is nice variety and efficiency to Anthony’s jump shots. He can hit it off the dribble or rise up directly out of the catch. He made 34.8% of his 3-pointers in college, but that could have been higher if opposing defenses were not able to focus so much energy on him. Anthony was one of just two players with any semblance of a deep shot on his college team.
There is no doubt that Anthony is a score-first guard, but there is a great balance among his secondary skills. Not many high-usage lead guards are also gifted defenders, but Anthony is. He is instinctual and fluid when his team doesn’t have the ball. He protects the rim and rebounds as if he was much taller than his listed height of 6-foot-3.
Anthony was a consensus top-three national recruit coming out of high school. He averaged a triple-double in his senior year at Oak Hill Academy, which is famous for producing NBA talent such as Carmelo Anthony and Rajon Rondo. Many draft experts believed Anthony could have been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft before the college season started.
WEAKNESSES
That No. 1 overall potential disappeared as Anthony struggled at UNC. The team went 14-19 and Anthony’s efficiency dropped below 40% from the field. However, some forgiveness is warranted due to a weak supporting cast. Anthony had no quality perimeter players around him and he constantly played with two traditional big men clogging the paint.
While some excuses can be made for Anthony’s situation, the season can’t be ignored entirely. He took far too many bad shots. While he is great at creating good looks, he is also great at settling for bad ones. He was the type of high school player that was expected to elevate his college team, and he undeniably failed to do that.
To make your team better, especially as a point guard, you need to be an advanced passer. Anthony is not there yet. He is capable when moving the ball, but it may never be a strength for him. His default setting is to look for his own shot. That might keep him in a bench role as a pro, though he could also start for a team that has gifted passers on the wing.
Anthony’s range and defense would be a good fit for the shooting guard position, but his size takes that off the table. Even though he plays big, his 6-foot-4 wingspan cannot be relied upon to defend with any versatility. He should be a good against smaller guards, but asking anything more of him would be a mistake.
FIT WITH KINGS
There are two big questions that must be considered when trying to match Anthony with the Kings. First, how would he work alongside De’Aaron Fox? Second, how much should that matter?
The fit with Fox has both good and bad aspects. Shooting is necessary, and Anthony checks that box. He could wait for a pass from Fox and fire from deep, create off a drive or make a simple pass and relocate. On offense, they would be just fine together. Defensively, they would struggle against any backcourt with size.
The truth is nearly every player in the draft has some fit issue with the Kings. Only one or two players could slide in seamlessly. And if any fit issues should matter, it would be those with Fox. But most Kings fans don’t want to hear about that. They just want the best player on the board.
It would be unexpected for the Kings to draft a point guard with Fox already in that role. But Sacramento needs as much talent as it can get. There is a very real chance that Anthony is the best player available at pick No. 12. If that is the case, Sacramento should pull the trigger and figure the rest out later.