There were question marks about whose playing time would be sacrificed to reintegrate Kevin Porter Jr. back into the lineup, and it didn't take long to find out. In his return to the lineup, Porter started for the Milwaukee Bucks, sliding Ryan Rollins to shooting guard. With those two eating up significant time, Cole Anthony did not hear his name called until mop-up duty.
Bucks pull the plug on Cole Anthony experiment
Once Porter went down in the first game of the season, Anthony had a golden opportunity to prove his worth with an increased role. There were glimpses of potential, but it quickly faded. Poor passes, an ugly shot diet, and lackluster defense all headlined Anthony's recent play. It felt like Porter's return might take some of the minutes from Anthony, but Rivers went ahead and stripped away all of them.
Anthony had a golden opportunity to prove himself during Milwaukee's recent four-game stretch without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Instead, it was a disastrous run, with the guard averaging 6.8 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.5 turnovers per game while shooting 38.7 percent from the floor, including a mere 10 percent from downtown. That type of play just won't get it done.
For now, Cole Anthony is back to being a depth piece. Porter and Rollins are the lead guards for this Milwaukee Bucks team, and several other players can handle the ball if needed.
The Anthony signing made sense at the time, given that Milwaukee needed a third point guard on the roster, but it was never perfect. In a summer when the Bucks made it clear they wanted to acquire as many tall, lengthy, two-way players as possible, signing a 6-foot-2 guard not known for his defense was different. Yet, on a minimum deal, it was a fine move, even if things haven't been perfect lately.
The question now is whether the Bucks plan to keep Anthony or use him as trade bait once he finds himself eligible on December 15. On a minimum contract, he won't net the Bucks anything massive, but teams in the market for a recognizable floor general could come calling. Depending on exactly how things shake out in the next few weeks, Anthony could end up relocating.
Only time will tell if this is the end of Anthony's story with the Bucks or if there will be a redemption arc down the line.
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