The Orlando Magic could simply pick their poison as they tried to attack the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon.
There were the two usual suspects the Magic hoped for as they prepared for the season. Paolo Banchero has regained much of his star form in scoring 28 points, controlling the pace of the game, and attacking the hoop with power and poise. Desmond Bane scored a game-high 31 points, draining threes and quickly attacking to finish at the rim.
Those were two parts of the offensive mastery the Magic showed in their 133-127 victory on Sunday. In that breakneck game -- and really in many of the games the Magic have played since Franz Wagner went out with a left high ankle sprain -- they needed another scoring option.
Orlando will not complain about who they are getting it from. Anthony Black has helped complete the trio quickly nicknamed "The Killer Bees" after their performance Sunday afternoon.
Black has been the surprise of the season for the Magic. When the Magic needed him to step up to fill in for both Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, he has proven to be more than just a Swiss Army Knife of a defender. He has proven to be an offensive star in his own right.
Black put in 27 points and 10 assists, making 8 of his 16 shots and 8 of 10 from the foul line. He has become a genuine weapon on offense with a confident pull-up jumper and an increasingly consistent 3-point shot.
Black has stepped to the plate in a way the Magic hoped for and could only dream of. The Magic's ceiling is only raised because of what Black has done in the last month.
Holding the boat steady
The Orlando Magic have held the boat steady since Franz Wagner's injury -- going 6-6 since his Dec. 7 injury -- largely thanks to Anthony Black.
Black is averaging a career-high 15.8 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game and 3.8 assists per game. He is shooting 46.3 percent from the floor and 35.0 percent from three. Those are not career-highs, but they are near his career bests on a career-high 12.4 field goal attempts per game and 4.4 3-point attempts per game.
Black has improved dramatically in key areas too.
He is shooting 36.4 percent on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. He has a reliable dribble pull-up. He is shooting with loads of confidence.
Those numbers have only increased since Wagner's injury, filling in that star gap that the Magic were missing (particularly since Banchero was still working his way back into game shape).
Since Wagner's injury, Black is averaging 21.2 points per game, 5.2 assists per game and even 1.3 steals per game, keeping up his terrorizing defensive reputation. He is shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from three.
Black has scored 20 points in seven of his last 10 games. He has 20 points in 11 games this season. He had only nine in his first two seasons total.
The Magic have come to expect Black to deliver these big performances now. He has become a key part of the Magic's path and formula. This is a significant leap.
Black is essential
The Orlando Magic are not 20-16 and still fighting for their spot in the Playoffs without Anthony Black filling in these gaps.
There are games where he was the clear star -- his career-high 38 points in the win over the Denver Nuggets, including several clutch plays that gave the Orlando Magic a signature win, and his 20-point second quarter powered the Magic to a blowout win over the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA Cup knockout round. That is a place nobody had Black entering the year.
It is no wonder the Black is considered among the favorites for Most Improved Player -- he is tied for sixth in FanDuel's odds for Most Improved Player at +3500. There is still the wide assumption that Black will come off the bench when the team is fully healthy, making him a solid candidate for Sixth Man of the Year too -- Black is fourth in those odds at +900, even as he racks up more starts.
The Magic will have to reconfigure Anthony Black when they hit that mark when Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs back in the lineup. But he is an asset that can help the team get over the hump even more. Black is a bonus weapon whose development gives the team an elite sixth man at minimum.
Black could be so much more. That is something he has proven this year too after two mostly inconsistent seasons that only hinted at this potential.
Orlando has two stars in Banchero and Wagner. The team has another potential star in Bane. Black has shown plenty of potential too. And it has kept the Magic afloat this season and given them another young player to continue to grow into something more.