The call has been constant throughout the season from Anthony Black's teammates: Be aggressive.
All the Orlando Magic have wanted from their second-year guard is for him to attack when he gets the chance and to shoot confidently. They want him to unleash his defensive prowess, unfolding his length, speed and intensity.
It has often been a struggle through an at-times frustrating second season. Black told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel he would say he has had a "mediocre" season as the team wrapped up its five-game road trip.
The highs have been very high, showing the potential and versatility the former sixth-overall pick can bring to the team. The lows have been frustrating because of how critical his role became to a team devastated by injuries.
The Magic's trade deadline inactivity was not a direct referendum on him, but it became clear how much Black was in the spotlight as the Magic tried to figure out how to make the most of him. It is clear what the Magic need from him.
That was abundantly clear in Sunday's 108-103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Black almost single-handedly turned the game around at the end of the third quarter when he and Gary Harris tagged to force three straight turnovers in an 8-0 run that gave the Magic a brief one-point lead.
Black delivered two of the biggest shots in the game with back-to-back threes from opposite corners midway through the fourth quarter to give the Magic a one-point lead. Black finished the game with 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting, making all three of his 3-point attempts in the game.
When Black plays with this kind of aggression and confidence, stepping into his shots without thinking and attacking on both ends of the floor, the Magic become a different team.
"When Anthony Black is aggressive both offensively and defensively, he is a problem," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Sunday's win. "That's what we ask him to do on a consistent basis. Defensively, you saw he turned the tide of the game when he picked up, got steals and was aggressive. That's the type of defense we know he can play. Offensively, getting downhill attacking the basket and stepping into his shot. He had such a command while he was on the floor. That's exactly what we know he can be on a regular basis."
An up-and-down season
It has been a wild up and down season for Anthony Black.
He is better than he was during his rookie year when he got pressed into duty. The Orlando Magic have expanded his role, trusting him with ball-handling duties off the bench.
Black is averaging 9.0 points per game and 3.0 assists per game in 23.7 minutes per game. He is shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and 31.6 percent from three. With more playing time and an expanded role, his efficiency has predictably dropped as he has tried to navigate life as a more regular rotation player.
Since the All-Star break, Black is averaging 7.9 points per game and 1.7 assists per game. The only bright spot is that he is shooting 46.4 percent from three in 13 games since the break but on 2.2 attempts per game.
Starting a player who was noted for struggling from three to shoot on lower volume is the right idea -- he made 39.4 percent of his 1.4 attempts per game last year in more of a spot-up role. But Black's 3-point shooting is still one of his biggest swing skills.
When he hits, he becomes a different player and changes the floor spacing for the Magic. He must punish defenses who do not respect his shot.
Finding his aggression
Anthony Black has not quite worked out as a traditional point guard. But the Orlando Magic are running an offense that is not using a point guard in a traditional way. What they need from Black is another player who can get downhill and attack the paint.
Black is averaging 7.3 drives per game this year (he averaged only 2.1 per game last year) according to data from Second Spectrum. He shoots only 41.5 percent on those drives this year and scores 3.7 points per game and 0.6 assists per game.
Since the break, Black is at only 5.5 drives per game, shooting 27.6 percent on 2.6 field goal attempts per game and scoring 2.3 points per game.
The Magic have been struggling to unlock Black's offensive game. It starts with his aggression and confidence to attack the basket more consistently. That sets up every other part of his game, including his burgeoning 3-point shooting.
"Coaches, my teammates, whoever try to help me find different ways to be aggressive," Black said after Sunday's win. "It definitely instills confidence."
They want that not only because everyone can see the potential in a 6-foot-7 guard who can hound multiple positions on defense but become a mismatch nightmare for the Magic's offense. They want that because when Black is aggressive as he was Sunday, it impacts winning.
In Magic wins this season, Black averages 10.5 points per game and 3.2 assists per game compared to 7.7 points per game and 2.9 assists per game in losses. Black shoots 47.6 percent from the floor and 42.7 percent from three in wins compared to 35.8 percent overall and 20.8 percent from three in losses.
The Magic have a -2.8 net rating (104.6 offensive rating/107.5 defensive rating) with Black on the floor this year. In wins, that jumps to +13.7 points per 100 possessions net rating with a 116.3 offensive rating and 102.6 defensive rating.
There are stories to tell too. Not just the big shots he made in Sunday's game but shots like the one he made at the end of the Orlando Magic's win over the Indiana Pacers in October. Black has had four games with 20 or more points this season. The Magic are 3-1 in those games.
"I think it goes to say the work that he puts in," Mosley said after the Magic's win over the Pacers on Nov. 13. "The work that the coaches put in with him. We can't say it enough. The small things matter. He goes talking about the shooting last night and comes in and knocks down two big free throws, makes a couple steals down the stretch, makes big-time plays down the stretch that all impact winning. I think he understands that and feels that. He's doing whatever is necessary to help this team continue to win games."
Just like a confident Black from three makes a difference.
He has 13 games this season with two or more 3-pointers. The Magic are 9-4 in those games.
With Black, it has been all about consistency. What can the Magic count on him each night? He has had moments but nothing that feels permanent. He has not scored more than 10 points in consecutive games since the last game of the All-Star break against the Charlotte Hornets and the first game after the break against the Atlanta Hawks.
For Black, the key to unlocking him is his own confidence and aggression. This is what the Magic are still fighting to instill in him. This is the player they believe in.
The call for Black remains the same. Be aggressive.
An aggressive Black gives the Magic another attacker and another scorer who can help turn games in their favor. And his scoring and defense can swing games in the Magic's favor.