The Magic are preparing to enter an incredibly difficult playoff series. They will have to face a Boston Celtics team that finished the regular season with a 61-21 record, the second-best offensive rating in the league, and the fourth-best defense in the NBA. The Celtics are not only the reigning champions but also one of the deepest teams in the NBA.
Missing two key players and displaying some serious offensive shortcomings, the Magic are definitely the underdogs in this series. In the Play-In Tournament, the Magic proved that they could be a bigger threat than expected, but they need everyone to be at their best to do that, particularly Anthony Black.
Black had a big game against the Atlanta Hawks, putting up 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in 28 minutes. He also put up big numbers in the last two games of the regular season. The Magic will need more of that in the playoffs.
Anthony Black could be the key to the Magic’s success
Losing Jalen Suggs to a season-ending injury has hurt the Magic for a while now. It took away one of the Magic’s better 3-point shooters and playmakers, as well as the backbone of their defense.
Zach Lowe believes that Suggs’ absence will rear its ugly head again in the playoffs.
“The absence of Suggs is huge for the Maic all the time, but particularly in this series because they have used Suggs on Tatum, and they’ve used Suggs on Brown,” Lowe said on his new podcast The Zach Lowe Show.
Having to face the Celtics without Suggs, strips the Magic of defensive talent and versatility against a team that has weapons at every position. There is a possible solution, though.
“Without him [Suggs], they have a little bit less flexibility that way, and they don’t quite have the answer—unless it’s Anthony Black—of a fifth guy in their starting lineup who helps you on offense without hurting you on defense,” Lowe added.
The Magic have been able to defend well enough without Suggs. Their biggest concern has been maintaining a solid offense. More often than not, the answers to that issue have been Cory Joseph and Cole Anthony. Joseph can help organize the offense and take some of the playmaking load off Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Anthony is often the only player not named Banchero or Wagner who can score in bunches.
And yet, as Lowe pointed out, playing both extended minutes could be a problem against the Celtics. The Celtics have too many players who can score to have even one weak defensive link on the court. Giving the Celtics just one player to hunt on defense could make this a quick series.
Anthony Black could provide the necessary defense alongside Banchero, Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. However, he would have to step up his offensive game to make this work. Even at their best, Banchero and Wagner cannot out-score one of the best offensive teams in the league by themselves. Other players will have to step up offensively.
Over his last five games, Black averaged 12.2 points on 41.4 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent from three. If he can bring that kind of production in the playoffs while also playing stellar defense, he could be the key to the Magic’s success.
That is a lot to ask of Black, though. He is, after all, only 21 years old and barely played during the Magic’s playoff run last season.