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The Orlando Magic have dealt with a lot this year. Jalen Suggs has been in and out of the lineup from the opening day of the season. Franz Wagner has missed the last few weeks recovering from an ankle injury, while Paolo Banchero missed some early time. Desmond Bane got off to a slow start.
Through it all, the team sits at 18-14 and #4 in the East following a late-win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
Injuries playing a part usually mean other guys getting the chance to step up. Nobody on this team has taken more advantage of a situation than Anthony Black.
Already playing great ball entering the Denver game, the third-year guard dropped a career-high 38 points to lift his team to the victory.
Let’s do a slightly deeper dive on Black, and his strong play.
The Anthony Black Breakout
Players don’t just emerge out of nowhere to breakout. Anthony Black is no exception to this rule, and has been working up to the type of performance he just had. With Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner out, more opportunities are available.
Not only did Black drop 38 points, but he also played incredible defense on Denver’s final sequence of the night. He made Jamal Murray take a very difficult shot, after nearly stealing the inbounds pass. See below.
AB had scored 20+ points in four out of five games entering action last night. In just 30 minutes of action, he poured in 38 points, making 14 of 24 shots and went 7-11 from beyond the arc.
Black also grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists. Nine of the 38 points came in the fourth quarter, putting the finishing touches on a big day.
There was a reason, after all, why the Magic decided to use the #6 pick on the former Arkansas guard.
Desmond Bane (15 points in the final quarter) helped carry the team to the finish line after being put in position to do so by Black.
How Sustainable is Anthony Black’s High Level of Play?
The biggest thing for guys to succeed in the NBA is decided by how much playing time and opportunity they get. A fully healthy Orlando Magic team would still feature Anthony Black as a reserve, and for good reason.
Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane have proven to be more than good enough to hold it down in the backcourt, while Franz Wagner had been at an All-Star level. This doesn’t mean that the third-year guard won’t be in closing lineups come crunch time as the season goes on.
Black can certainly continue to be at the level he has been at. Averaging over 14 points per game, his offensive breakout has been one of the big stories in Orlando this season. They have long needed someone to come in and fill the injury gaps, and he has been doing that all season.
The next step for this team is to find success in the playoffs. Orlando as a franchise has not won a postseason series since Dwight Howard left. In 2009-10, they lost to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The success of the Paolo Banchero-Wagner era will be defined by how much they win in April (and May).
As long as Black is playing at this level, the team will maintain a fighting chance.
Zach Weiss Zach Weiss is a sports reporter covering the NBA for Heavy. He also hosts a podcast about the Cleveland Cavaliers, “Across the Cavs,” and serves as a sports broadcaster for various institutions in the Greater NYC Area. He wrote for Knup Sports for six years. More about Zach Weiss
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