Should Cole Anthony even be on the Charlotte Hornets’ draft radar?
The Charlotte Hornets seem to have quite a nice pair of guards ready to lead them into the future. Things change very quickly in professional sports, however, and the team could decide to move on from one of them. Could their replacement be found in the upcoming NBA Draft?
The backcourt for the Charlotte Hornets seems to be in good condition right now, with the services of Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham. Yet, things are never set in stone with the NBA landscape.
Stranger deals have happened and several rumors and discussions have already been had among experts and teams alike regarding Hornets’ guards, so anything is in the realm of possibility at this point.
So, what if one of them gets dealt before the NBA Draft? No one knows when that will be, honestly, and front offices seem to be at a virtual standstill at the moment, but if the Charlotte Hornets decide to trade one piece of their new dynamic duo, could a replacement come from the draft?
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If so, could it come from the same state from which the Hornets play, say a school familiar with ownership and management? At the beginning of the season, many thought it would be possible, but should the tandem of Rozier and Graham stay together, then there’s not much need for the player I am referencing.
That would, of course, be Cole Anthony, from the University of North Carolina. Anthony was a projected top-five pick prior to the start of the college basketball season, but after dealing with injuries and a lackluster season as a whole from the Tar Heels, his stock has dropped just a bit.
That’s not saying he isn’t a talented player because he certainly is, but a college one-and-done only has so much time with which to show his promise, and Cole’s was unfortunately cut short this past season.
The son of former NBA player, Greg Anthony, Cole played very well when he was healthy at UNC, averaging 18.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4 assists per contest, despite an injured knee that caused him to miss 11 games.
He was All-ACC Freshman and third-team All-ACC as well, so even when limited, the 6’3″ guard showed promise and why he was so highly touted coming out of high school. In fact, in just about any other circumstances, he’d be the perfect fit for the Hornets.
You have the obvious connection with owner Michael Jordan and GM Mitch Kupchak being former UNC basketball players, but to add to that, homegrown Charlotte Hornets fans always love a guy who played college ball in the state of North Carolina… as long as he wore the right colors, of course.
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Now, though, he might just fill a void the Hornets no longer have, that of course, being backcourt scoring. Anthony is more of a scoring guard and would have been a perfect option at the shooting guard spot alongside Devonte’, but in came Terry to assume that role and it worked beautifully.
Then again, NBA teams are almost always in flux, and should the team find an offer for Rozier they truly like, especially if they would like a taller guard more suited for the two, then Cole could work.
Signs point to none of that happening, however, and currently, the team would best be suited by drafting someone to take up space in the middle. Still, if Cole is the best option and there are no worthwhile big-men at whatever spot the Hornets fall to, then perhaps they take a chance on him.
The status of backup guard, Malik Monk, is seriously in question after he has failed to live up to expectations, both on and off the court. If the organization decides to part ways with him, perhaps Cole becomes part of a three-headed guard monster.
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Depending on what happens with the draft lottery and the subsequent draft itself, who knows what position the Hornets will find themselves in? If they’re picking at the back of the lottery, they may see their desired players already gone. If so, picking the best player available could be the best option. I suppose we’ll in the coming months.