Soaring Down South
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NBA Mock Draft 4.0 — Warriors Take Wiseman First, Hawks grab LaMelo

By Dallin Duffy

WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 25: Lamelo Ball of the Hawks celebrates hitting a three point shot late in the final quarter during the round 8 NBL match between the Illawarra Hawks and the Cairns Taipans at WIN Entertainment Centre on November 25, 2019 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 25: Lamelo Ball of the Hawks celebrates hitting a three point shot late in the final quarter during the round 8 NBL match between the Illawarra Hawks and the Cairns Taipans at WIN Entertainment Centre on November 25, 2019 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) /
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GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 10: Cole Anthony #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts following a play against the Virginia Tech Hokies during their game in the first round of the 2020 Men’s ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 10, 2020 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

10. 66. Prospect Profile. Pick Analysis. PG, UNC. Phoenix Suns. Cole Anthony. player

The Suns could go in a lot of directions here, but the need for a point guard remains. Ricky Rubio has two years left on his deal but is aging and the team lacks a true back up.

Enter Cole Anthony, who still finds himself going in the top-ten even after a very rough freshman season for the Tar Heels. The point guard averaged 18.5 points but did so on a 38/34/75 split that’s extremely ugly.

The freshman did battle injuries and was asked to do a ton for a UNC team that was weirdly untalented, resulting in some really bad stats for Anthony. Still, the potential he showed as a top recruit out of high school is still there and his potential fit next to Devin Booker would be hard to turn down.

The hope is that Anthony can develop into a better shooter when he’s asked to do less, and someone who can take defensive pressure away from Book.

Anthony is also a very good rebounder for his size and an uppity defender that can give even veteran ball-handlers fits. It’s a risky pick, but one that the Suns could ride into the playoffs next season.