After being all but banished from meaningful minutes, Cole Anthony finally got another crack at the rotation in Thursday’s win over Boston. Doc Rivers’ gamble paid off for the Milwaukee Bucks. Anthony was efficient from the field, moved the rock around, and for the most part, kept the turnovers in check. He made his coach look smart for giving him a second chance.

Anthony capitalized on first rotation minutes in over two weeks 

It was a modest outing, but a good sign nonetheless. Anthony provided nine points on 4-for-6 shooting from the floor, five assists, a steal, and a block. He only turned it over twice, which is saying something, given his struggles with ball security. Showcasing his floor vision as a passer, he dimed up Pete Nance for an alley-oop lay-in on the Bucks’ last score of the game. 

Most of his minutes came in the second half; Rivers left him in for the entire fourth quarter. Some of that was garbage time, with the Bucks nursing a big advantage, but Anthony also helped stretch the lead earlier in the period. In the box score, he finished as a plus-eight for the quarter and a plus-nine overall. 

Whether Anthony can build on the outing with any sort of consistency is another question. Rivers effectively put him in timeout after an 0-of-7 outing in Miami last month. It was the final straw in a spiral of miserable shooting and reckless ball-handling. He played sparingly, if at all, over Milwaukee’s next six games.

Anthony doesn’t have to pile up points to earn more opportunities, but he does have to be reasonably efficient. The Bucks would take last night’s performance every time. Particularly with Kevin Porter Jr. back, they aren’t so desperate for production in the backcourt. From Anthony, all they need is sound, solid play as a shot creator and facilitator. Energetic, not frenetic, is the playstyle mantra he has to embrace. 

Even with the Bucks down players, knowing when to reintroduce Anthony wasn’t an obvious decision. Rivers pulled the right lever at the right time, apparently, rewarding the offense with a spark. Maybe a breather on the bench was what Anthony needed to get back on track. 

It’s also possible that positive variance boosted his stat line. Shooting just 28.6 percent this season, he sank his only 3-point try. He rattled in a long two that, on another night, the rim might spit back out. Anthony did get to the rim twice, an encouraging sign for his shot profile.

The shooting will be up and down; that much is clear. Making solid reads and taking care of the ball are elements of his game that he can control. While it worked out against Boston, the Bucks should be cautious about hopping back on the Cole Anthony train. Even with a good game, he’s probably on a short leash. He proved Rivers right once, and he’ll have to do it again the next time he has his number called.Â