What if Kiyan Anthony scores 22 points against New Haven tonight?
Syracuse opens the Gerry McNamara era tonight at the Dome, and there’s already been plenty of concern about Anthony’s underwhelming preseason.
But if he knocks down a few jumpers, attacks the basket and finishes with 20-plus points, how much of that criticism immediately disappears?
Probably all of it.
That’s how quickly the narrative can change. And it’s why we need to pump the brakes on judging Kiyan Anthony.
We understand the anticipation. He’s the son of Carmelo Anthony, one of the greatest players in college basketball history.
Melo didn’t just arrive with enormous expectations. He delivered a national championship, averaged 22.2 points and 10 rebounds, and authored one of the greatest seasons in college basketball history.
That can’t be the standard Kiyan is measured against.
Yet every missed jumper and quiet scoring night will inevitably invite questions about whether Kiyan is living up to his last name and recruiting ranking.
That’s an impossible burden.
And there’s another important factor being overlooked.
We don’t actually know what Kiyan Anthony’s role will look like in Gerry McNamara’s offense.
G-Mac is building something new. He’s installing his philosophy, evaluating combinations, figuring out rotations and determining how his players fit together.
The preseason is precisely when coaches should experiment.
Maybe Anthony is being asked to develop different aspects of his game. Maybe he’s learning to play without dominating the ball. Maybe McNamara is testing how he fits alongside other scorers.
Exhibition games help identify strengths and weaknesses. They aren’t necessarily reliable predictors of how a player will perform once the games count.
What’s encouraging more than a preseason box score is Anthony’s reputation.
By the accounts surrounding his development, he’s coachable, has a great attitude and is willing to work.
Those are enormously important qualities.
Talent matters. But so does listening, accepting criticism and improving.
And McNamara knows a thing or two about developing guards.
He also understands the weight of expectations at Syracuse.
None of this guarantees Anthony will become All-ACC.
Maybe he’ll struggle early. Maybe his role will be smaller than fans expect. Maybe there will be nights when his shot simply isn’t falling.
That’s part of this basketball season.
But there’s an enormous difference between recognizing growing pains and declaring that a young player’s college career is headed for disappointment.
Tonight against New Haven, we’ll get our first meaningful look at how McNamara intends to use him.
Kiyan doesn’t need to be Carmelo. He needs to be a coachable player who gets better as the season progresses.
Give him the opportunity to become his own player.
And let’s wait until he’s played a real college basketball game this season before deciding what he can become.
