Although Anthony Black played plenty as a rookie a season ago, his role throughout his sophomore campaign was far more significant toward helping the Magic find success.

The Orlando guard became a regular in Jamahl Mosley‘s rotation and appeared in 78 games, saw his minutes increase from 16.9 to 24.2 on average and doubled his scoring from 4.6 points to 9.4 in just a year.

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Often getting the chance to close games despite not starting them, Black also had the opportunity to take part in Orlando’s first-round series against the Celtics, something he didn’t really do when the Magic faced the Cavaliers the postseason prior.

“Getting to play a series of playoff basketball, it was a lot of fun,” he said recently. “It was intense. It was a good year [that had] a lots of ups and downs [and] a lot of injuries, so it looked different at times.

“It was just good that our team was able to stay together, make it to the playoffs and be able to put up a fight,” he added.

While his time on the court was more consistent, his production wasn’t.

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The first 15 games of the season, Black averaged 8.5 points on 30.6% from 3-point range with 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, a steal and nearly a full block (0.9).

But as the Magic dealt with the same injury to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner (torn right abdominal muscle), Black’s role changed when Orlando’s rotations were altered.

Later, a low back contusion that was brought on by back spasms in early January forced him to miss three games and impacted his play after he returned.

During 15 games from mid-January through early February, 6 of which he started, Black averaged 9.8 points but shot 25% from beyond the arc.

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The 6-7 guard bounced back and ended the regular season on the rise when he averaged 11.7 points while shooting 35.4% on 3-pointers in the last 15 games.

“I feel like some of the games that weren’t as common this year — me changing the game [by] making shots, scoring points, playing defense — I’m looking to do that more consistently,” Black said.

He added: “There’s good and bad in every season. But there was growth in a lot of areas that I was trying to get better in, so I feel like I’ve got to take the small wins. It was fun just contributing to winning down the stretch of the season and the postseason. I feel like I grew in a lot of areas but there’s still a lot of areas I need to grow in.”

Those areas, according to Black, include shooting, dribbling, finishing through contact in the paint and creating his own shot when it’s needed.

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“It’s hard to pinpoint one thing,” he said. “It’s just all things offense.”

Still, Black had his moments on that end of the floor.

He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 33.3 seconds left on Oct. 28 vs. Indiana, dished out a career-high nine assists on Nov. 18 at Phoenix and later scored a career-high-tying 23 points twice on Dec. 19 against Oklahoma City and Feb. 23 vs. Washington.

Black was at his best when he played aggressively on defense to help lift his offense. His teammates would talk about how they urged him to perform that way consistently.

“Different parts of the year, it looked different for me with who we had playing and who we didn’t,” Black said. “I definitely think I could have done a better job of it, but at the same time, I feel like I did what I could when it was there for me.”

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As his time on the court increased, so did his comfort level. Finding his spots to attack the rim, the game slowed down for the second-year pro throughout the season.

A recognition of his growth, he was added to the Rising Stars event at NBA All-Star Weekend in February.

But Black knows there’s room for improvement.

Much like the summer between his first and second years in the league, he plans to spend most of his offseason at the AdventHealth Training Center. He is also aiming to return to Dallas, near his hometown of Duncanville, Texas, to visit family and friends.

The 2023 lottery pick is ready to sharpen his skills in the offseason for his third year in the league.

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“I look forward to helping this team win,” Black said. “This summer is going to be all about figuring out how to do that, how they want me to do that and try to maximize that.

“I know I can contribute a lot to the team next year.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com