PSO Scouting Report: PG Cole Anthony

PSO’s original Scouting Reports strive to be uniquely valuable in evaluating a player’s future outlook by focusing on the four main subjects that summarize a player’s likelihood of succeeding at the next level including: Natural Athleticism, developed NBA-Caliber Skills, proven Production, and overall Risk that each individual player presents to a team drafting him. For a full breakdown of PSO’s Scouting Reports, click here.

Bio

Pos: PG

Hometown: New York, New York

Team: North Carolina

Class: Freshman

DOB (Age): 5/15/00 (Age 20)

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 184 lbs.

Facts to Know

As a Senior, was named MVP of the McDonald’s All American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit
His father Greg played 11 seasons in the NBA, and is currently a broadcast analyst for NBA TV and TNT
Broke the UNC school record for the most points scored by a freshman making his debut (34 PTS)

Athleticism

Pros

Very explosive for someone his size, demonstrates this both laterally and vertically
Quick hips and defensive slides, is able to stay with just about anyone around the perimeter and in transition
Body coordination is very high, he can manipulate his small frame through holes and around defenders
Strong first step which leads to a lot of shot creating opportunities on any part of the court
Despite small stature, he can absorb contact at the rim with great balance

Cons

Lackluster size/frame makes him a natural defensive mismatch against larger players & limits him on offense against lanky guards
Does not always maintain the control of his athletic movements which leads to bad shots/turnovers

Grade: A-

NBA Skills

Pros

Fearless when driving into the paint and finishes at the rim at a high level using various angles
Creates his own shot very well from all areas of the court either in transition or from a half-court set
Very comfortable with his handle in both hands, in transition, and creates opportunities very well
Hits shots that other people would never think of taking; This can hurt the team, but makes him a constant threat
Aware and locked in on the court especially on defense, makes good rotations, and covers the weak-side well

Cons

Offense at UNC was based solely around him scoring, denying the chance to improve his passing and team skills
Shot selection was poor on drives and isolation plays, this will need to be eliminated rookie year
Not a true floor general, more of a score first point guard, which would not work on some NBA teams
Needs some work on p&r defense, mainly concerning footwork
When switched on to a big, he is bad at positioning and staying in front of his matchup, allowing easy baskets

Grade: B

Production

Pros

5.7 RPG is very solid for a PG; gives him the ability to grab and go which is important at the next level
30% usage rate, highly involved in the teams offense and not scared to make plays
5 games this season with 25+ points, shows the ability to take over a game alone
36.4 projected NBA 3P% shows his shot-making potential given the shot selection he had this season

Cons

FG% below .400 is never a good sign, especially while taking so many shots (16 FGA!)
1.14 assist to turnover ratio is very low for a point guard, needs to limit TOs
Offensive rating under 100, incredibly low for anyone in the NBA draft
5.8 FTA per game; with the amount of drives he has, he should be getting to the line closer to 10 times a game
17.5 PER, good synopsis of an overall poor season production wise from Anthony, he can be better than this

Grade: B-

Risk

Pros

Incredible work ethic, gym rat, teams will never have to worry about the effort he puts into his craft
Familiar with the NBA lifestyle, father played in the league and he grew up around the game
Will play better with other guys around him, his UNC team this year heavily underachieved
All the physical tools are there, improvements in decision making and reading a defense will come with experience
High floor as a bench scoring weapon, which is still useful in the league

Cons

Questions about his leadership ability and can he make his teammates better like a PG needs to
Partially tore his right meniscus which required surgery, is durability a concern?
Passing is not at the level of other top PG prospects in his class
Average height of an NBA PG is only increasing; very few small players can make a big impact
While the poor shot-selection can change with NBA coaching, it comes with risk as a premier prospect

Grade: B

Overall

After being in the national spotlight for a few years, it is finally time for Cole Anthony to make the jump to the next level. The son of former player and current analyst Greg Anthony, Cole is the definition of a playmaking point guard. His intensity level and work ethic are just what coaches want, and he has been at his fair share of blue-blood programs from Archbishop Molloy HS, to Oak Hill, to UNC. Despite a disappointing freshman season, which included injury and overall poor team performance, Anthony showed glimpses of the special things he can do when he is on the court.

His main strengths are in situations when he needs to make a play. He has every move in his bag at a variety of skill levels. His percentages were poor last year, but a lot of that is due to being double-teamed and forced to make plays for an otherwise mediocre team. He can drive to the basket very well, and contort his body in Derrick Rose fashion. His jump shot is good and once he experiences more high-level basketball, he’ll likely develop better shot selection. People will doubt him because of his size and lack of production, but Cole Anthony wants to be big-time in this league and will outwork everyone to do so.

Pro Comp: Austin Rivers

Projected Round/Pick: Late lottery/Mid 1st Rd

Prime Destinations: BOS (#14), ORL (#15), DAL (#18)

OVERALL Grade: B