The starting job at point guard in Milwaukee is Kevin Porter Jr.'s to lose. That much seems clear, as it has been the expectation for months.
While Porter seems like the obvious choice to begin the season, things could change if he struggles to reacclimate to a starting role. Based on Ryan Rollins' usage last season, which included 19 starts in Milwaukee, many might project him as the next man up. Such speculation makes sense, but don't count out Cole Anthony entirely. Provided he tightens up defensively, he has an overlooked case bolstered by his numbers as a Magic starter in 2024-25.
Anthony is intriguing fallback if other options fail
Despite being the anticipated third choice, Anthony actually started the most games last year, 22, among the Bucks' three options. Paradoxically, Porter started only two of his 30 regular season contests in Milwaukee, but he made the most of his body work and has starting experience from his days in Houston.
So, in fact, does Anthony. The former 15th overall pick entered the league as a starter in Orlando and only fell out of that role in year three. Due to injuries, he saw his most opportunities since then in the 2024-25 season, starting nearly one-third of his games.
His minutes continued to decline, however, leading to box-score stats seemingly unworthy of a spot on the court at tip-off: 9.4 points and 2.9 assists per contest. But consider only the games he did start. Then he averaged a respectable 13.7 points plus 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists, representing a nearly 50 percent increase in scoring volume.
Interestingly, his 3-point shooting also improved dramatically across those 22 games, up from 32.5 percent in non-starts to 39.1 percent. Most of that is probably variance and Anthony's streakiness; the sample covers only 92 attempts. But it's also worth wondering whether he found himself energized and in a groove as a member of the starting lineup.
To that point, those starts were not scattered around the schedule, but came in consecutive-game bands of eight and 14, respectively, separated by seven games in which Anthony came off the bench or logged a DNP. The whole of his starting activity was concentrated in a period from early January to early March. If he does get a boost from starting, it's something to at least keep in mind.
Ryan Rollins actually has a similar argument, plus the fact that Rivers did, in fact, start him sporadically last season. Particularly toward the end of the schedule, he saw his playing time and production rise.
Still, it was Rollins' first taste of consistent playing time in any form, all of which amounted to 56 games and 14.6 minutes a night. He is clearly a better defender, which works in his favor if a starting spot becomes available. However, Anthony is more of a scorer and creator in a lineup searching for a secondary playmaker alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. That could tip the scales in case Rollins isn't ready to fill that function.
Circumstances would have to break just so, but if Porter ultimately feels more comfortable off the bench and Rollins needs another year to grow, Anthony could make Rivers think hard about a change of preseason plans.