3 Things the Orlando Magic showed during Summer League
3 things the Orlando Magic showed during Summer League
3. Anthony Black still needs work at point guard
There was a lot of attention put on Anthony Black entering this offseason.
Black was the only player who had played meaningful minutes going from the Orlando Magic's regular season roster to Summer League. That the sixth overall pick struggled to break into the rotation during the playoff run had some people wringing his hands.
Black had some clearly definable skills. He is a confident defender and his 3-point shot took some major strides. But the Magic seemingly played him out of necessity more than giving him a role that he earned.
Black played but he was in a narrowly defined role and not asked to contribute much. He mostly had to stay out of the way and lean on his defense to make an impact. The Magic were not running plays for him or even letting him run the team as the lead guard.
Black was also only 20 years old and looked his age at times.
The hope was that a year of playing would give him some confidence. Black said he wanted to come into Summer League and be more aggressive and return to the way he played at Arkansas, when he averaged 12.8 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 3.9 assists per game.
Black is undoubtedly better and more confident than he was during his rookie season. But there are still some things to be concerned with.
Black is slotted in right now as the backup point guard for the Magic next season. And while he was more confident on the ball in this year's Summer League, there are still concerns that he can handle point guard duties for the Magic even in a pinch once again.
Black averaged 12.5 points per game, shooting 8 for 16 from the floor and 1 for 4 from three. That included a 2-for-7 showing in his second game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Black tallied nine assists in his two appearances (ankle soreness suffered from a bad step in the win over the Pelicans ended his Summer League early).
In the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Black looked in complete control of the team and the pace of the game. It looked like he had made some serious gains to control the tempo and pace of the game.
His follow-up against the Pelicans was less consistent. The Pelicans were able to speed him up with traps and pressure. But in the fourth quarter, Black shook off any struggles he had to close the game out in the fourth quarter.
Black was not a runaway success in Summer League. He did not take over games or look like the team's best player. But he is a player who clearly improved over his rookie year.
The question then is whether he will be ready for a bigger and more secure place in the rotation for the Magic during the regular season. That is something Summer League was not going to tell us completely.
But his two-game stretch still left some questions about the extent of his impact when the regular season begins. Especially at a position that is acknowledged as a weak spot in the lineup and one with precious little depth.