4 Orlando Magic players who have the most riding on the 2024-25 season

1. Anthony Black

As a rookie, Anthony Black did not get the type of runway most high lottery picks get when they first come into the league. Rather than joining a team that was competing for one of the worst records in the league, Black went to an organization with bigger goals. 

As a result, he struggled to break into the rotation and did not put up huge numbers. He did not do what people usually expect from the sixth overall pick in the draft. 

The 2024-25 season should present a chance for Black to change that. Markelle Fultz is not on the team anymore, and it seems that the Magic are prepared to finally give Black consistent rotational minutes if he can play well. 

Playing well for Black does not necessarily mean putting up huge numbers and blowing everyone's mind with his scoring. It means playing good defense, hitting open shots, providing some bench scoring, and developing as a playmaker. A guard/ wing rotation involving all four of Jalen Suggs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Gary Harris, and Anthony Black will be causing all kinds of problems for opponents defensively. 

If he does not have a good season, it won't be an absolute disaster in Orlando. After all, he is still only 20 years old, and Magic fans love his potential. Other people might not see it that way. If Black has another unimpressive or even bad season, he could quickly be written off as a draft bust. 

The 2024-25 season and the promise of rotational minutes will be a chance for Black to remind everyone why the Magic drafted him sixth overall and announce his arrival to the league.