The Cole Anthony hype dimmed fast. After an exciting start, his efficiency shot down. The turnovers have crept up. He's still moving the ball, still getting assists, but lately the bad has outweighed the good. While Anthony can still play a positive role for the Milwaukee Bucks - they need him to - they're starting to see why Orlando viewed him as dispensable.
Bucks still waiting on the next "up" in Anthony's up-and-down start
Anthony had been inconsistent for a while, but lately he can't buy a bucket. In his last six games, the former Magic point guard is just 12-for-46 from the field for an average of 4.8 points. In Thursday's overtime loss to the 76ers, Anthony dished out seven more assists but also turned it over four times and shot 2-for-7 for five points.
Recently, the turnover volume has been high for his limited minutes. In that six-game sample, he is averaging 2.7 giveaways versus 1.9 in his other nine contests. Perhaps most frustrating, he is at times a bit reckless with the basketball, producing easy interceptions for defenders. While the dimes are fun to watch, the turnovers combined with missed shots have led to a high frequency of empty possessions.
Perhaps one thing driving up his overall inefficiency is that the Bucks have essentially asked Anthony to run the offense when he is on the floor. Sure, he played a similar role for the Magic, more so during his first two seasons, but Milwaukee is counting on him for an even higher concentration of shot creation.
Anthony is at a career high in both assist percentage (38.6) and turnover ratio (13.2, the number of possessions per 100 that result in giveaways). Despite a usage rate identical to last year's, Anthony is accounting for a whopping 49.1 percent of the team's assists and 34.4 percent of turnovers when on the court. Particularly with Kevin Porter Jr. out, the Bucks have turned to him as a high-intensity source of playmaking.
There has been some good, some bad. More good early, more bad of late. His 5.3 assists per game would be his most since 2021-22 and are nearly double his average last season. As Anthony has struggled, that part of his game has remained intact. What hasn't is his shooting and ball security. Even as his consistency faltered, Anthony posted a 55.3 effective field goal percentage in his first nine games. Since then, it's been 28.3.
Streakiness comes with Cole Anthony territory. He has never been a smooth shooter (career 48.3 EFG percentage in Orlando). His small size can be an issue on defense. The Magic knew these things and moved on from him after five seasons. Memphis couldn't find a trade partner and resorted to a buyout. After a hot start, the Bucks have a better idea why. They can't afford this type of slump to continue.