NBA Rookies: Anthony Black Continuing to Surge, Notches Career High in Win Over Washington
As the No. 6 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Anthony Black entered a young, up-and-coming Orlando Magic lineup as a piece to bolster the team's perimeter defense and provide another playmaking lens through his 6-foot-7 playmaking skill set.
To his rookie season, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley was forced to tinker with the starting point guard role, initially implementing Markelle Fultz into the spot before succumbing to lingering knee issues — which he has still yet to resolve, not competing since Nov. 9.
As Fultz dealt with injury, in came another guard to help fill the much-needed role alongside Jalen Suggs — and that was Gary Harris, which essentially fulfilled their starting lineup with two shooting guards.
Subsequently, Black saw his minutes drastically increase in his third contest due to Fultz's absence and the lack of an established point guard, tallying 16 and adding nine points on 4-for-4 from the field in his first legitimate chance at showing his worth in a large role.
The next game on Nov. 4, he was thrown into the starting lineup. He'd ultimately post the team-high plus-minus in the 19-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 11 with two treys.
Since then, Black has consistently seen 20-plus minutes a game, 22.7 minutes per contest in December, and has remained in his starting role for the 18-12 Magic who sit at No. 5 in the East.
As a result, he's eased into his game at the professional level — anchoring Orlando's defense with his 6-foot-10 wing span and instinctual talents.
But he's also started to put his scoring prowess on display, contributing through continuously running the floor effortfully, flashing to open gaps and also forcing defenders to respect his uncontested three ball.
A career-high 23 points in a win versus the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night exemplified that, while shooting an efficient 69.2% from the field.
Although, the night after was much rougher for Black, coming back down to just three points on a struggling 1-of-6 shooting in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
It's a season of ebbs and flows, hills and valleys, especially for the rookies in this league.
But the future is looking up for Black, and he'll continue to grow beneficially beside a young Orlando core.
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