MIAMI, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 06: Cole Anthony #50 of the Milwaukee Bucks controls the ball against the Miami Heat during the first half at Kaseya Center on October 06, 2025 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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Injuries have haunted the Milwaukee Bucks since they lifted the Larry O’B back in 2021. They’ve decimated the roster at critical playoff moments and contributed to three straight first-round playoff exits — each one more frustrating than the last.
The Bucks were hoping their injury luck might finally turn this season, but that optimism didn’t even make it through one half of basketball.
Starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. went down with a sprained ankle in the season opener and didn’t return. He also missed Friday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors, and though there’s no official timetable for his return, the early signs suggest he’ll be out for a bit.
That forced Ryan Rollins into the starting lineup. Rollins is more of a combo guard — a shooter who can initiate but isn’t exactly a full-time table-setter. Asking him to run the show is a stretch, and through two games, his 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio reflects that growing pain.
Fortunately for Milwaukee, Cole Anthony has been more than ready to pick up the slack.
Anthony was an afterthought in the Desmond Bane trade between Memphis and Orlando this summer — a throw-in who’d fallen out of favor with the Magic. Memphis didn’t have plans for him either and waived him a month later. Four days later, the Bucks quietly scooped him up on a one-year, veteran minimum deal.
And just four days into the NBA season, that low-key signing already looks like a shrewd piece of business.
In the opener, Anthony came off the bench for 12 minutes — limited by foul trouble — but still posted nine points and five assists.
On Friday in Toronto, his role expanded. Despite not starting, he carried Milwaukee’s offense for long stretches, logging 26 minutes, scoring 23 points, and dishing seven assists.
It wasn’t just the box score. Anthony’s control stood out in a game that was otherwise chaotic.
The Raptors were hell-bent on pressuring the Bucks throughout the night. When they weren’t picking up directly at halfcourt, they implemented full and 3/4th-court presses.
Toronto’s trademark defensive pressure — full-court pressure, physical ball denial, and relentless length — had Milwaukee spinning. By midway through the second quarter, the Bucks had already committed 13 turnovers. They finished with 19, coughing the ball up on nearly one-fifth of their possessions, per Cleaning the Glass.
Anthony was the steadying force. He ran the offense with composure and finished with just one turnover. When Toronto tried to speed him up, he used his quickness and tight handle to turn chaos into opportunity.
With 3:34 left in the first quarter, facing a full-court press, Anthony took a left-hand dribble toward the sideline before crossing behind his back to the middle of the floor. That nifty move shook his defender just enough to create a lane. He kept the defender on the back of his hip, attacked the rim, and euro-stepped into a smooth floater.
Facing pressure again in the third quarter, Anthony used a Myles Turner screen at halfcourt to squeak free. He then attacked Jakob Poeltl’s left hip, took a bump and finished an extended righty layup for an and-one.
When he wasn’t creating for himself, he was manufacturing good looks for others.
Late in the first quarter, Kyle Kuzma’s crossover drew Anthony’s man, freeing him on the right wing. Driving downhill, Anthony collapsed the defense and zipped a pass to AJ Green in the right corner for an open-gym three.
Possessions later, Anthony worked left off another Kuzma screen. As Kuzma rolled and pulled a help defender into the paint, Anthony fired an off-blance, cross-court dart to Taurean Prince in that same right corner for another splash.
Those are the kinds of reads Milwaukee’s halfcourt offense desperately needs without Porter Jr.
Anthony played with a controlled edge all night, attacking pressure instead of reacting to it. He turned Toronto’s aggression against them, bending their defense and giving the Bucks much-needed rhythm.
That’s exactly what Milwaukee needs in the short term — and perhaps beyond. Nobody knows when Porter Jr. will return, but Anthony has already proven he can steer the second unit and stabilize the team’s guard rotation.
Anthony’s blend of pace and poise fits perfectly for a Bucks team determined to play faster and freer this season.
He’s not Damian Lillard, but he doesn’t have to be. His north-south burst, quick processing, and confidence to create offense early in the clock align seamlessly with Doc Rivers’ new vision: move the ball, attack early, and make defenses uncomfortable.
Milwaukee’s revamped style isn’t just about shooting more threes or playing fast for the sake of it. It’s about trusting players like Anthony — guys who can keep the offense flowing, prevent stagnation, and seize easy scoring chances before the defense can blink.
If early returns are any indication, Anthony might end up being more than a stopgap. He might be the exact kind of spark plug the Bucks have been missing since their title run.