Expectations are a funny thing.
For the first time in a long time, the Orlando Magic faced expectations this season. They made a major trade that put them well over the luxury tax and raised the stakes for their season.
Everyone pegged the Magic as the third-best team in the East and a surefire team to get out of the first round. They had two clear All-Stars. It seemed inevitable that the Magic would be successful this season.
At the midpoint of the season, there are probably more questions than answers about this group. Injuries have derailed many of those early-season hopes, but not closed them down.
It feels like the Magic have stagnated, at best. The team has a half-season to prove otherwise. They have a half-season to meet their potential.
That is what the second half of the season will be about: Meeting their potential. And if there is a sign of hope that this is possible, look no further than Anthony Black.
In a season that has been defined so far by the inability to meet expectations, develop and grow, Anthony Black has been a reminder that this team still has another level to reach and the youth to reach it. Black has simply been a revelation.
Considering all the injuries, frustration and uncertainty, it is easy to say that Black's emergence has been a season-saving development. Without him stepping up and making this sudden development into a bona fide scorer, the Magic's season would surely be lost.
For that reason, Black is the MVP of the first half of the season. With the Magic's stars dealing with injuries, and their own inconsistency to meet high standards, Black is a breath of fresh air and hope in a season that has failed to meet expectations so far.
We are at the midpoint of the season! So, I want to know: Who is the #Magic's MVP of the first half of the season?
— Orlando Magic Daily (@OMagicDaily) January 19, 2026
My pick is coming later today. Who is YOUR pick?
It is a reminder there is still plenty of hope for growth. He is a reminder that this team can still grow and develop.
Black embodied the team's culture at a time when it feels like it is collapsing and the hope that this team can continue improving when it feels like they are stagnating.
Black embodied the team's culture
Quite simply, Anthony Black's emergence as another potential star and someone pushing for starter's minutes came out of nowhere.
Black was mostly a bit player in his first two seasons, relegated to standing in the corner on offense because he was not reliable with the ball. The Magic valued him for his potential and his defense in his first two seasons.
But he was a non-factor in the Playoffs -- 8.2 points per game and 40.5 percent shooting in the series against the Boston Celtics. It was one of the biggest risks of the offseason that the Magic seemed eager to turn over a larger offensive role especially to Black this season.
To say that he has risen to the challenge is an understatement.
Black was the annual player that every player said was due for a big season because of his work in the offseason. Anthony Black took to new assistant coach God Shammgod's layup and handles school. That is certainly part of what completely changed his outlook.
“AB is the most improved player this year,” Franz Wagner said on the Amazon broadcast after Thursday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. “He’s been working so hard. The shot is falling. Super athletic getting downhill. That’s what he does, and he plays both ends, too. Super happy to be on the same team with him.”
The go-ahead dunk in Thursday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies was merely an exclamation point on a strong first half of the season.
Black is averaging 15.8 points per game and 4.0 assists per game, both career highs. He is shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from three.
Black is averaging 18.7 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game and 5.0 assists per game in 22 games as a starter. He is shooting 47.3 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from three in those games.
Black has 14 games this season with 20 points or more. He had only nine total entering the season.
To underscore the point about his finishing, Black is shooting 63.1 percent on shots within five feet and averaging 5.0 field goal attempts per game within five feet.
Last year, Black shot 56.0 percent on shots within five feet and averaged 3.2 attempts per game.
Underscoring this point more, Black totaled 55 dunks in his first two seasons. He has 44 through 42 games of this season.
There is a level of aggression and confidence that has pervaded Black. That is seen in how he is attacking the basket and his confidence shooting from three.
It has all come together and helped save the Magic's season.
Hope for the future
The Orlando Magic are not where they want to be this season.
But things are not hopeless by any stretch. The Magic are in the mix of a tight playoff race. There is still a lot of time to jump to the front.
And there are plenty of signs on the roster to suggest this can still be a very special season. There is still a chance for growth.
The first quarter of the season was about finding their way. It was about new players getting comfortable in their new surroundings and feeling the weight of those expectations.
The second quarter of the season felt like it was about survival with the injuries hitting the roster again.
The next quarter of the season will be about continuing to blend all these pieces together.
Black has become undeniable. When Jalen Suggs returns, how will the Magic incorporate him into the lineup? Will Black become a super sub, or will the Magic be forced into some uncomfortable decisions before they are ready?
These are good problems to have. Seeing a young player come into his own is exactly what a young team wants to see.
It may not feel like it with the expectations the Magic have failed to meet, but Black raises this team's ceiling. He gets them closer to a championship.
There are a lot of other pieces the Magic need to get aligned and into place. Black still must continue to play at this level in whatever role he ends up filling when the team gets healthy.
But Black remains proof this team has room to grow. And that is something everyone needs to believe in with how this season has gone so far.