39 Years ago the Detroit Pistons drafted the player who still to this day, is recognized as the franchise’s best player, Isiah Thomas.
The Pistons were coming off a 21 win season, which awarded them the 2nd overall pick in the 1981 draft. With that selection, they chose Isiah Thomas, who would go on to lead the Pistons to back to back titles in 1989 and 1990.
Why am I bringing all this up? Because the Pistons sit in a very similar position in 2020 as they did in 1981. At 20-46, the Pistons have a 10.5% chance at landing the 1st overall pick, and about a 42% chance at landing a top 4 pick. While I’m not saying the Pistons have to draft a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest point guards of all time in the 2020 draft, but they definitely need to make the right selection in order to get their franchise on the fast track back to contention.
After drafting, Isaiah Thomas in 1981, the Pistons would go 39-43 in the 1981-1982 season, winning 18 more games than they did the previous year. This is something I’m sure Pistons fans would love to see in present day form, and nailing a potential top 5 pick would go a long way in doing that.
So let me introduce you to North Carolina star, Cole Anthony and let me tell you how, if drafted by the Pistons, could be put in a similar position as Isiah Thomas was in 1981.
Cole Anthony- 19 years old/ 6’3/ 190 pounds
Although Cole Anthony announced on March 24th, that he was delaying his decision to enter the NBA draft, he said playing in the NBA has “always been his dream,” and it’s likely only a matter of time before he declares for this year’s draft.
If you’ve have been following Cole Anthony’s college career, then you know his season at North Carolina went less than ideal (to say the least).
Whether is was a torn meniscus that cost him about two months of his freshmen season or North Carolina’s unimpressive win-loss record, Anthony kind-of had a season to forget.
But did he? Are these struggles overblown and overstated? Before his knee injury, Anthony was averaging 19.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 9 games. UNC went 6-3 in those games, and without him, they went 4-7.
After Returning on February 1st, Anthony averaged:
30.6 Minutes per game
18.1 Points per game
39% From the field
34% From three
5.3 Assist per game
5.2 Rebounds per game
3.3 Turnovers per game
In 13 games, North Carolina went 4-9 and it was clear they struggled to incorporate Anthony back into their lineup. But as you take a look at Anthony’s stats, you’ll find he didn’t have as much as a disappointing season as you’d think.
For the entire season Cole Anthony averaged:
18.5 points per game
4.0 assists per game
5.5 rebounds per game
38.0 FG% and 34.8 3P%
*In 22 games
Again not a perfect season, but let’s take a look at what Cole Anthony does well, and what parts of his game he can improve upon.
Strengths
Speed and Athleticism–
This is Anthony’s bread and butter, using his quickness to get to the rim or create plays off the dribble. This will also be Cole’s biggest asset on the defensive end of the floor, as he has shown the speed and quickness to be a pesky defender at the college level.
Creating off the Dribble–
Anthony will be the most effective on the offensive end with the ball in his hands and he has shown the potential of an elite shot creator at the point guard position. He will uses his quickness and agility to get off tough shots and has strong ball-handling skills to get open and knock down jumpers.
Getting to the Rim–
The majority of Anthony’s game on the offensive end will come from his speed and quickness, and this couldn’t be more true for his ability to penetrate the defense and get to the rim.
Rebounding–
5.5 rebounds per game as a point guard is pretty impressive, and it really is a testament to how Cole Anthony approaches the game of basketball and his mentality on the court. That kind of toughness and edge, is something a lot of NBA players do not play with, especially at the point guard position.
Weaknesses
Decision Making–
This is perhaps the biggest question mark NBA scouts have when evaluating Anthony, especially because he will need the ball in his hands to be an effective player at the NBA level. Anthony averaged 3.5 turnovers, and only 4.0 assists, so improving his decision-making with the ball in his hands will be make or break in determining Anthony’s ceiling at the NBA level.
Finishing at the Basket–
While Anthony is very skilled at penetrating opposing defenses and getting to the rim, he struggled to covert those looks at the rim into points, as Anthony only shot 38% from the field for North Carolina this season.
Up in the Air
Playmaking–
If Anthony is able to become a better decision-maker with the ball in his hands, then naturally his playmaking should be fine. One red flag though, is Anthony did have a habit of missing open teammates at the college level. Because of his less than impressive court vision, Anthony will probably be an average playmaker at best, but the other parts of his game can make up for it.
Defensive Impact–
A reoccurring theme, is going back and noting Cole Anthony’s biggest strength, his quickness and agility. Again, this will be crucial on the defensive end as well, because without his lateral quickness, he will be a liability on the defense. It’s not that Anthony doesn’t have the instincts or will to play defense, it’s just that at 6’3, 190 pounds, Anthony will have a hard time defending bigger and stronger players at the NBA level.
Fit on the Pistons
Cole Anthony’s fit with the Piston’s young core, has mixed results to say the least.
Certainly Anthony’s game should mix beautifully with young star, Christian Wood, and to me that’s the main reason your would draft Cole Anthony. These two would be a lethal pick and roll duo, using their quickness advantage to navigate through defenses and get easy buckets. Anthony had never played with a elite big who is so versatile on the court like Wood, so I’m sure his assist numbers would benefit greatly. In turn, Christian Wood would get a lot more easy baskets at the rim, as opposing defenses will be prioritized with trying to keep up with Anthony’s fast pace game.
Other players I’m sure that would benefit off playing with Anthony, would be Bruce Brown, Sekou Doumbouya, and Svi Mykhailiuk. Brown, especially, because you would want to pair Anthony with a bigger guard who can defend the other’s team most lethal perimeter threat. Also, Bruce is a strong playmaker, so he complements Anthony’s game perfectly.
Players like Sekou and Svi, fit with Anthony, because the more height and size around Anthony, the better.
The one player I would not pair Anthony with, is Luke Kennard. While I’m sure Luke would benefit of Anthony’s shot creating abilities, both players struggle defensively and should be playing with a backcourt mate who can make up for their weaknesses on the defensive end.
After taking in all that, what’s the final verdict? Is Cole Anthony the right man to had the keys to? Let us know what you think and be sure to stay tuned for more fire Pistons content. 🔥
Piston Territory 