In September, Giannis Antetokounmpo predicted that Cole Anthony could end up being the Bucks' X-factor this season in an interview with Sport24. It was an unexpected shoutout for a seemingly minor player, but the newcomer has made good on it in the preseason. On Tuesday, Anthony had his best game yet of the preseason and finished with an extremely efficient 21 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite not being a household name, Anthony is one of the Bucks' biggest offseason acquisitions this year. He's a gritty guard who brings both youth and experience at 25 years old. So far in the preseason, he's had a great campaign and made good on Giannis' offseason prediction.
Anthony looks like the Bucks' X-Factor
Anthony was extremely efficient shooting the ball, ending the game 7-of-11 from the field overall and 5-of-6 from three. His willingness to take threes at a high rate and make them effectively is right in line with the Bucks' overall strategy this season. Anthony got his threes off in different ways, whether it was spotting up or shooting them off the dribble while running a pick and roll.
He also showed some of the playmaking that he brings off the bench. One of the Bucks' best highlights in this game was a look-away alley oop pass from Anthony to Jericho Sims for a dunk. Anthony's well-rounded game of scoring aggression, passing, and off-ball shooting makes him especially difficult for opposing defenses to guard.
If they overcommit to stopping him, he'll simply find the open man for an easy basket. But not dedicating enough resources to defending Anthony can also be a mistake, as his 21 points in 19 minutes showed in this one. Anthony was able to effectively use the threat of his 3-point shooting to get a step on defenders and finish at the rim a couple times as well.
Defense is another area where Anthony can make positive contributions. His biggest defensive highlight in this game was a chase-down block on Aaron Wiggins to prevent a fast-break finish.
Anthony was a defensive playmaker all game and racked up two steals in addition to that block. Those are the type of plays that will help kickstart the Bucks' transition attack and get easy looks for Giannis and others.
Cole Anthony is entering a deeply personal season with a lot on the line for his NBA career. After being cast aside by the Magic, he’s found a perfect home in Milwaukee and is proving he has the tools to succeed on the Milwaukee Bucks.
So far, he’s making Giannis look like a genius for praising him even before training camp. Fans are hoping he will continue this strong play into the regular season.