Arkansas Razorbacks’ Anthony Black a Strong Fit for Oklahoma City Thunder
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Most of the players that Oklahoma City Thunder have chosen over the past few NBA drafts share a common trait: they can put the ball on the floor and make a decision while having the passing ability to find teammates on the move. Additionally, they were usually able to defend well and/or shoot well.
Add in the fact that those players usually boasted a significant positional size advantage and were usually 20 years old or younger and you can start to see a pattern emerge that helps one to understand the front office’s preferences.
One player whose resume seems to be a strong fit based on that pattern is Anthony Black, who is playing his pre-draft basketball with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Standing at 6-foot-7 and about 200 pounds, Black possesses a unique combination of size, skill, and feel, similar to a Josh Giddey or LaMelo Ball. Like Giddey and Ball, Black has great court vision, is a talented ball-handler, and has plus-size for his position.
Unlike Giddey and Ball, Black doesn’t have the otherworldly or flashy passing ability that leaves the crowd oohing and awing, but it’s still a massive part of his game. In fact, one of Draft Digest’s scouting reports noted, “He’s more of a pass first guard that prefers to set up his teammates. In fact, sometimes he’s so unselfish that it actually impacts him negatively.”
But Black’s pass-first mentality might not be a detriment for a team that might be able to run most of their offense through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a healthy Chet Holmgren next season. Factor in the amount of backdoor cuts and pick-and-rolls featured in the Thunder’s offense and it could easily be a non-problem for the Razorback.
While passing does account for a lot of what Black brings to the table, there are other things he does well, too. For example, his athleticism, which doesn’t get talked about enough. Black has everything you could ask for: a quick first-step, start-and-stop ability, incredible acceleration, lateral agility, and elite hops.
Turn on any of his games and you will notice him leaving defenders in the dust, getting to the second-level with ease, and taking off from the middle of the paint, hanging in the air, and finishing through contact or throwing down lobs. In fact, to illustrate just how explosive he is, Black’s 19 dunks are second only to Villanova’s Cam Whitmore when looking at college freshmen listed at 6-foot-7 or shorter.
Black’s athleticism has translated to the defensive end of the floor as well, where he currently boasts a 3.3 steal percentage and 1.5 block percentage. His head-on-a-swivel awareness, constant activity, and competitiveness combined with his natural gifts makes for an intriguing defensive prospect. And when you consider that he is playing for the same program that coached up Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe, it’s easy to feel good about adding him to the Thunder’s roster.
And then, much like Giddey and Ball, there’s Black’s ability to shoot which is undoubtedly his biggest swing skill and could determine his fate in the big leagues. Black is shooting just 32% on 75 threes so far this season. His jumper is far from broken and there’s a lot to work with as he has a fairly consistent form from his gather to his release that looks more smooth than clunky. And at 19 years old, Black’s free throw percentage of 71.4 on five attempts per game is encouraging as that typically correlates to shooting success at the NBA level.
Put all of it together and Black makes a ton of sense as a target on draft night for the Thunder as a talented and athletic two-way wing-sized prospect with room to grow into more of a secondary, or, maybe even, a primary ball-handler that Mark Daigneault can insert into lineups to maximize ball movement and create a more dynamic, free-flowing offense without sacrificing the defensive end.
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