Anthony Black discovering patience to slow the game down in Summer League

The difference between a rookie and a second-year player at Summer League is in the speed at which they play.

Not that they are going fast or moving with any increased speed. It is in the patience of their reads and their understanding of how to operate on the floor.

Black can turn the afterburners on. Everyone knows that. One thing he showed through his first Summer Lague game was his ability to work in transition.

But the moments that stood out were something smaller, something simpler and something slower.

Take Black's first scoring possession in Friday's game. He drove the ball toward the baseline, got turned back and shrugged off a double team with his physicality before stepping through for a one-footed floater.

Or take the third-quarter possession where Black got a handoff that got him into the paint. He jump-stopped, pump-faked and waited for the defense to pass by him before leaning in for the contact and the foul.

These are small plays that would go unnoticed typically. Ultimately they are plays where Black scored. But they showed an increase of patience and poise that only comes from experience. It is where Black has shown that he is not a rookie in this Summer League anymore.

As it has for all young players. The game is starting to slow down for a player like Black. That is evident to anyone who watched Friday's game. Black moved more deliberately and purposefully. That is something that settled the entire team.

"My coaches are doing a good job helping me understand where to use my pace and where to play fast," Anthony Black said after practice Saturday. "Even throughout this camp in the last week, I feel like it has slowed down for me for sure. That's a good benefit for sure."

Black finished Friday's Summer League game with 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 7-for-9 shooting from the foul line. He added three assists and four steals, displaying some of the playmaking potential he has and his continued strong defense. Getting to the foul line for nine free throw attempts showed his aggression and willingness to get downhill.

There was plenty to be encouraged by in his first Summer League showing this year.

Everyone will point out the moments when he came around screens to hit mid-range jumpers (he did it twice!).

Some are also pointing with disappointment at his three assists against three turnovers (two of those turnovers at least were failed lobs, the aggressive kind of turnovers you can live with in a Summer League setting).

His second game saw him struggle a lot more. The New Orleans Pelicans pressured and trapped him a lot more, turning the game into an up-and-down mess at times. Black finished his second Summer League game with five points on 2-for-7 shooting.

His first basket did not come until the fourth quarter. But it was a big one, tying the game in the Magic's 91-86 victory. After a rough start to the game, he settled down and made big plays to help the Magic pull out the victory, finishing with six assists despite his overall offensive struggles.

It will be a learning experience for the second-year guard as he takes more responsibility on the ball. This is what Summer League is ultimately for.

When Black was successful, it was because he was patient as he made his attacks. And that is probably the most important thing to say about him.

Black entered Summer League proclaiming quite loudly that he wanted to be more aggressive and attack off the dribble. He promised to play off two feet and more like the way he played at Arkansas.

No doubt, his rookie season was a bit underwhelming. Unlike Jett Howard, who spent most of his season in the G-League, Anthony Black did get playing time when he was pressed into starting early in the season. He finished the year averaging 4.6 points per game in 16.9 minutes per game. He played virtually no meaningful minutes after the All-Star Break.

Black has a lot to prove with Summer League as the Magic seem set to hand him the backup point guard role after their offseason.

Anthony Black is displaying experience and confidence in Summer League

If Summer League is any indication, the experience he got his rookie year has helped him.

Summer League is about getting the reps and confidence to be more aggressive and assertive. It is about showing how much Black has learned and how much more comfortable he is within his role.

"It's repetition just like anything else," Magic Summer League coach Lionel Chalmers said after practice Saturday. "There is a natural ability that comes with it and he has that. But it's about repetition. Just being able to read it and see what's coming. And having the understanding not predetermining things but allowing it to fully develop, seeing the big picture of it and making decisions off that."

Black did plenty more. While he seemed to be under control and playing at his tempo, he also noticeably picked up his pace too. That was seen in several kick-ahead passes to pick up the pace. Nobody seems better at playing in transition and making decisions on the fast break than Black.

That was always a strength of his. Playing with poise and at a comfortable pace allows him to play faster.

His veteran patience was on display. And as the Magic prepare for their second Summer League game, they will hope to see Black increase that comfort and aggression. For everyone, the Magic want to see them build on what they did Friday afternoon.

Black will have the chance to do that. There is still a lot to accomplish for however long he will play in Summer League.

But one thing already stands out. Black knows how to slow things down more effectively and he knows how to be patient to get to his spots and create space. That is a promising advancement for the second-year guard.