NBA Draft 2020: Mock Draft 6.0 (Lottery Order Set)

Though he’s not short on flaws, Markelle Fultz has established himself as Orlando’s point guard of the future. Even without a reliable 3-point stroke, Fultz is too talented in every other respect not to carve out a role long-term. With that said, the Magic have a roster saturated with forwards, and it’s time to balance to scales a bit. Cole Anthony fits in the backcourt.

To me, Anthony is a top-five prospect — and easily the best possible outcome for Orlando in this spot. He can play next to or behind Fultz, with a compact 3-point stroke, plenty of shot diversity, and a generally positive instinct for putting the basketball in the basket. He has historically done most of his work on-ball, but it’s not hard to envision Anthony running around screens and hitting off-movement shots with the proper buy-in.

Concerns for Anthony revolve around his efficiency, which was not great at UNC. He will need to tighten his shot profile a bit and ideally evolve as a creator for others. He is a point guard at heart, and his assist numbers should better reflect that. With that said, Fultz could allow Anthony to lean into his comfort zones as a scorer, which Orlando desperately needs on the perimeter.