Orlando Magic: Anthony Black Offers Flexible Point Guard Option

Plenty of names were thrown around for the Magic’s number six overall pick. Ausar Thompson, Taylor Hendricks, Cam Whitmore and more. But none seemed less excitable to Magic fans pre-draft than the prospect of grabbing Anthony Black.

Firstly, Black’s fit with the Magic is a strong one. A lengthy, forward-driven project highlighted by last year’s top pick Paolo Banchero and 2021 riser Franz Wagner, the Magic have earned their stripes recently via jumbo lineups and plenty of versatility.

Regarding that, Black fits in well as a jumbo true point guard. At 6-foot-7, he’s one of the best passers and perimeter defenders in the class, and should add plenty in the ways of versatility next to Banchero and Wagner. He’s an adept playmaker, navigates well in the pick-and-roll and rapidly improved throughout his college season at a variety of off-ball skills like slashing, relocating and highly connective passing.

The main and only issue with Black’s fit with the Magic is his 3-point shooting. One that’s largely overblown in the first place.

Hitting on 30 percent of his 2.6 three’s per game with the Razorbacks, Black is far from a skilled floor-spacer. But his shot mechanics and overall confidence when shooting aren’t cause for concern. Rather they project that he’ll eventually continue to improve down the line.

Even more, the Magic can opt to provide spacing in other ways. That much was evident with their second lottery selection, where they picked Michigan’s Jett Howard, who shot 37 percent on over seven attempts with the Wolverines.

In the end, Black’s quick processing and high basketball IQ trump one of his few weaknesses. Making his fit with the Magic a strong and exciting one.

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