Cole Anthony has struggled mightily in the Bucks’ recent losing streak, and Doc Rivers doesn’t see any easy solutions. “He’s struggling right now and we have to do something to help him,” were his exact words. Getting the best out of Anthony is another challenge for the Bucks coaches during the injury absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. If Anthony can’t turn it around quickly, the Bucks will continue to struggle as a team.
Cole Anthony is having the worst time as Buck
Anthony had a strong start to the season when Giannis was healthy, but his play has declined in a recent losing streak. At a time when the Bucks need players to step up and support their young point guard, Ryan Rollins, Anthony has struggled and has been at his worst. Over the past five games, Anthony is averaging only six points and four assists per game.
Not only is his overall output low, but he is also very inefficient with his chances. He’s shooting 36 percent from the field and 10 percent from three during this span, while adding more than three turnovers per game.
The Bucks were hoping Anthony could be a sparkplug for them as a late free agent. They have been forced to be creative in finding talent after recent draft picks, and signing Anthony feels like a huge win. The Bucks picked him up on waivers after the Grizzlies acquired him.
Now, the team will have to get creative to find success with Anthony. He might be in his own mind right now considering the situation created by his poor play. The Bucks coaches need to find ways to take the pressure off Anthony and start the offense in different ways for the second unit. The Bucks lack reliable ball-handlers at the moment, so will need some advanced offensive sets to get good looks without relying too heavily on Rollins and Anthony.
Anthony isn’t actually being targeted, but it’s a tough problem to solve. Even in his terrible performance in the Bucks’ most recent loss against the Heat, when he shot 0-of-7 from the field, Anthony was still getting the same looks as usual. He had some wide-open looks from three and got into some of the mid-range pull-up rhythm he was building earlier in the season.
It appears Anthony is having an unfortunate shooting spell, but the worst is coming for the Bucks. Despite the disappearance of their star, they need production from him, but they are asking too much from him. Hopefully the Bucks are able to find better ways to contain Anthony, and he can get out of his funk.
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