Magic 'Non-Shooter' Anthony Black: Right Pick at No. 6?
The Orlando Magic selected Anthony Black with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, hoping to add some depth to the backcourt.
Coming out of Arkansas, Black, 19, stands at a staggering 6-7 height for a point guard and takes advantage of it by being able to defensively take on positions up to small forward. The SEC All-Freshman team member plays with a pass-first mind as he only put up 9.1 shots in 34.9 minutes per game.
At Arkansas, Black's role was to quickly and efficiently find open teammates (3.9 assists per game—fifth in the SEC), drive to the basket to create fouls (190 free throw attempts—fourth in the SEC) and consistently strip the ball from opponents of all sizes (2.1 steals per game—third in the SEC).
The NBA community got to catch a glimpse of Black's play-style at both ends of the court at the Summer League. In three contests, the point guard led Orlando in rebounds (8.7) and assists (4.0) per game. However, Black averaged four turnovers per game and shot a subpar 40.6 percent from the field, including an abysmal 16.7 percent from downtown.
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie said that Black's hesitancy to shoot often led to making incorrect reads, which is arguably his best asset.
"He didn’t look comfortable shooting, only attempting six 3s in 85 minutes," Vecenie writes. "Plus, he had only a one-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio and wasn’t as dynamic on the ball as you’d hope for as a non-shooter."
Vecenie explained that the Magic's selection of Black was a poor choice because point forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner need someone to rely on in the catch-and-shoot game.
"The team’s future should lie in putting the ball in [Banchero and Wagner's] hands as often as possible and surrounding them with floor-spacing given how good both are as drivers and passers," Vecenie said. "But selecting Anthony Black at No. 6 doesn’t really accentuate that as a strategy, as Black is a non-shooter right now."
Black is aware of his shortcomings and revealed his goal for year one at the Magic's final Summer League game.
Black revealed his main goal for his first season in the association.
"A lot of growth," Black said. "We have a lot of good players, so we'll see how I fit in with the team and what the coaches want me to do. But, really just to grow a lot, win a lot of games and just learn what the NBA is about."
Black will continue to put in the work ahead of the team's training camp at the end of September.
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