Orlando Magic will face difficult decisions at point guard when Markelle Fultz returns

Cole Anthony’s emergence as a potential future star has come at a welcome time for the Orlando Magic.

Across the first 12 games of the season, and in the starting lineup with Markelle Fultz still sidelined with injury, the 21-year-old is averaging 19.3 points per game, shooting 39.1-percent from three and 44.0-percent from the field. He drove his team to victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz with two monster 30-plus-point games.

It was clear Anthony always had the potential to be a go-to scorer, even during his mixed rookie season. But the extent of his leap so far this year has come as a surprise, helped by a significant rise in his shooting percentages.

Is his current shooting rate sustainable? Probably not.

Cole Anthony is taking a high number of difficult shots off the dribble and is making them at an extraordinary rate. According to NBA.com, he is shooting 46.5 percent on pull-up shots this season and 42.1 percent on pull-up threes.

Even if those shooting numbers do drop off, there is reason to believe the former North Carolina guard’s leap is for real, based on what he has already shown this season. The focus is now on whether he can sustain this level over a longer period of time.

But in the short term, Cole Anthony’s surge raises some significant selection dilemmas, especially when Markelle Fultz eventually returns to the court.

Markelle Fultz is yet to return to the court for the Orlando Magic this season as he continues to work his way back from injury. But when he does it will present head coach Jamahl Mosley with a difficult selection choice.

Fultz has been out since the eighth game of last season when he tore his ACL against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It remains unclear as to when exactly he will return — the only update the Magic ever give is that he is progressing through his rehab.

Prior to his injury, there was a sense the tide had finally started to turn for the former number one pick following a difficult, injury-hit spell with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Magic were encouraged enough by what they saw before he suffered the torn ACL injury to give the point guard a three-year, $50-million contract. It was a big show of faith in a guard who has struggled to both stay on the court and shoot the basketball well during his time in the NBA.

But Markelle Fultz’s eventual return poses a difficult question for head coach Jamahl Mosley.

While the 23-year-old will no doubt need to be phased back in slowly, having Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony all available will lead to some tough calls as to who should start and who should be given more minutes in the starting lineup.

That may be a decision that comes further down the road. But Fultz will enter the window players typically return from torn ACLs soon — he is expected to be cleared for contact sometime this month and it is not impossible to expect him back around Christmas or the new year. And Fultz is certainly capable of stepping in as the starting point guard on this team.

The Magic have certainly invested in them as if they believe he will be their starting point guard.

The 2-guard lineup

The Orlando Magic will give Markelle Fultz every chance to play in two-guard lineups. Coach Jamahl Mosley has so far opted to pair Cole Anthony with Jalen Suggs at the 2-spot, as opposed to a veteran like Gary Harris or Terrence Ross.

It is no secret, though, Suggs has struggled to adapt to life in the NBA. So far, the 20-year-old is shooting just 30.6-percent from the field and 20.6-percent from three across 12 games.

These are pretty terrible numbers, even for a rookie, but there is no need to panic just yet. It is not at all unusual for players in their first year to be inefficient, given the step up required compared with college or the G-League. There have also been signs Suggs is starting to become more comfortable.

The Magic are clearly not in a position to win right now. Suggs’ development is a necessary price to pay for some bad offensive performances. The hope right now is he can play through the inefficiency, grow his confidence and continue to work on his jumper in actual game situations.

In theory, a Suggs/Anthony backcourt makes a lot of sense. Both have games that complement each other, with Anthony’s scoring and shot creation next to Suggs’ tough defense and additional playmaking providing the makings of an effective partnership. The duo have had a net positive for the team too — the team has a +12.0 net rating when they share the floor.

What has really held the duo back so far is Suggs’ inability to make his three-point shots.

Balancing shooting and development

There is an argument that Jalen Suggs, at this early stage of career, would instead benefit more from a role off the bench. This is something the Charlotte Hornets did effectively with LaMelo Ball at the start of last season before throwing him into the starting lineup. That could allow Suggs to improve his game while playing against weaker opponents.

Demoting Suggs to the bench could also have other benefits like providing him the opportunity to run the second-string offense. And given the Orlando Magic’s second unit struggles so far this year, adding a player like Suggs to the group could help the team improve overall too.

Anthony has to start with the way he is playing right now, that much is obvious. But would returning Fultz to the starting lineup alongside Anthony at the expense of Suggs work?

The pairing of Fultz and Anthony poses some pretty clear problems.

Both are at their most effective with the ball in their hands and are better suited to playing the point guard role. Were Fultz — a 26.5-percent career 3-point shooter — to step in at the 2-spot, it would also create spacing issues for the team.

Anthony could instead play more off-ball at the 2-spot, but this could pose matchup problems given he is undersized for the position. Neither Fultz nor Anthony are known as particularly good defenders while Suggs has already shown plenty of defensive promise.

On the flip side, the threat Anthony poses from deep would provide spacing for Fultz to do what he is best at — drive to the basket — were Anthony to buy into a more off-ball role.

But given that Anthony’s effectiveness off the dribble outweighs his catch-and-shoot ability, the Magic could be taking one of their most dangerous weapons were they to take the ball out of Anthony’s hands.

We are yet to really see Fultz and Anthony play together as a backcourt partnership — the two played only 15 minutes together at a -27.5 net rating last year. So a proper judgment on its success cannot be made.

But what must not be forgotten when weighing up starting backcourt lineups is the importance of continuing Fultz’s development, not just that of Anthony and Suggs.

Fultz is still only 23. He scored a career-high 26 points against the Washington Wizards right before his injury. There is still a lot of basketball ahead of him.

After working his way back to full fitness, the Magic must give Fultz the opportunity to pick up where he left off. Giving him a run at the starting point guard spot might just be the best way of doing that.

Making the call

Decsions over the roles of individual players during a season where there is little to no expectation that the Orlando Magic will be involved in the playoff conversation might not seem all that significant. But the reality is these are big calls for the head coach to make very early on in his career.

Coach Jamahl Mosley was brought in as a coach who could develop the team’s young talent and decisions like this can have significant implications on how well players grow. He simply has to get them right.

Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz (depending on how well he can come back from his injury) are currently the best two guards on the roster. But that does not necessarily mean they should play together.

Jalen Suggs might have had a disappointing start to his career, but still has the chance to be a quality NBA guard and there is a possibility that a Fultz/Anthony backcourt could carry some significant issues.

Eventually, Orlando will have to make a decision over which of the many guards presents the best chance of taking the team forwards, and who will become the focus of the rebuild.

And while that point has not been reached just yet, micro-decisions like this will go a long way in shaping the future of the franchise.