Imagine a backcourt Markelle Fultz-Cole Anthony

The Orlando Magic have two exciting young playmakers who have shown they have the ability to score, but have yet to prove they can shoot.

The Magic Brass broke their tradition of drafting longtime defensive-minded forward zone players by picking 6-2 point guard Cole Anthony with the 15th overall pick in Wednesday’s draft. It was a modern pick from the Magic, with Anthony filling a need for position, hopefully delivering a much needed punch on the bench, generating “He-might-be-the-steal-of-the-draft!” excitement, and delighting a majority of fans (even those who were aiming for a cleaner shooter).

Anthony and Markelle Fultz are currently the only Guard Points on the Magic List, with DJ Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams set to test the agency for free starting Friday.

So, with two basic pieces now locked into the guard point, the obvious question is, what will a short and long term Fultz-Anthony spin look like?

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Anthony, at least initially, is expected to back Fultz, adding a first point guard to a second unit that shot just 41.1% from the field, the lowest in the league. After being one of the top rookies out of high school, Anthony disappointed at UNC somewhat in an injury-riddled season in which he lacked the usual supporting cast of Tar Heel who provided poor spacing.

Spacing isn’t Magic’s greatest luxury, and has often been helped by Augustin’s generally reliable outside shot, player Anthony is expected to replace. Anthony only shot 38% from the field at college, 34.8% from deep. In many ways, he’s a more refined version of Fultz in that he can create the dribble, absorb contact, finish at the rim, thrive in transition and pick-and-roll, and take down the jumper from recoil and midrange.

“He’s playing a very skill-based game,” Steve Clifford told reporters after Wednesday’s draft. “He can play fast, he can play in transition, he can play in the half court. In North Carolina, he played a lot on the dribble. They also put on plays for him where he popped out of quirky screens or thumbtacks, giving him a catch-and-shoot look in his game.

But in order to also deliver the change of pace typically offered by Augustine, a career 38 percent three-point shooter who, even in a year of percentage decline last season, could still stretch the floor, Anthony will need to become an outside threat. reliable, a skill he seems better equipped to develop than Fultz.

“I think Markelle is great, super skillful in her game,” Anthony told reporters after Wednesday’s draft. “His struggles, I think the worst is behind him and he will continue to improve. We can complement each other. “

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While scouting reports suggest Anthony is more comfortable with the ball in his hands, he and Fultz could be interchangeable pieces in Clifford’s two point guard games, especially if one or both emerge. as a reliable perimeter shooter (Fultz and Augustin played 253 minutes together during the 2019-20 season, posting a net score of 11.2, per NBA.com.).

“It would give us two pick-and-roll players on the field at a time,” Clifford said of the Fultz-Anthony couple. “I could see this ultimately as [Anthony] become more comfortable and they are comfortable together, I mean, look at the big hit that Toronto played [Fred] VanVleet and [Kyle] Lowry together. So I think we can definitely do it. They’re big enough to do it and they’re both physical enough to keep bigger players.

Defensively, yes, both Fultz and Anthony may have the ability to defend both positions in the backcourt – Clifford praised Anthony’s ability to defend the pick-and-roll, citing his speed, strength and knack for staying in front of the ball. Offensively, there’s work to be done to prove they can approach the level of Lowry and VanVleet, two players who have shown the ability to hit all three at a 40% clip.

It’s a noble comparison, but it’s the dream of an Orlando Magic team that now has a young tandem of playmakers, both possessing the tantalizing edge that could make either. the main custodian of the organization for the next decade.

“Look, I’ve never been so prepared for a time in my life,” Anthony said. I am ready to join the NBA. I am ready to go. It’s not fair that I’m arrogant. It’s just a matter of hard work. I’m ready to go. ”