Anthony Black has been the best player on the Orlando Magic in multiple games this season, most recently on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Black scored a career-high 31 points (and did so in just 28 minutes because the game was a blowout) on 12-17 shooting. He's now scored double-digits in six straight games, including 20-plus in two of those.
We know that Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero are the stars on this team, with Desmond Bane acting as the league's best No. 3 option (and No. 1 or No. 1 every so often).
But Anthony Black has the ability to lead the Magic on some nights, like we saw on Tuesday. When he pops like this, he's not doing it by playing off of Franz or Bane. He's the one creating the chances for himself, and that creates chances for others.
When the fifth-leading scorer on the team can create offense for himself and take over a game like Black has shown an ability to, it raises the ceiling of the entire team.
Anthony Black is the kind of player who wins playoff series
I don't expect Black to average 30 points per game from here on out. He's still 21 years old, after all. But he's also proving to be far more than a serviceable backup guard. In a few years, he'll be easily good enough to lead a starting unit. For the time being, having him coming off the bench and help steady the second unit is about all the Magic can ask for.
When Black was drafted, the best-case scenario was that he would be a 6-foot-7, offensive creator who can facilitate and defend opposing team's best players. The defensive upside came early, and now the offensive creation is rounding into form, too.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were so good last season, in large part, because they had about a half-dozen guys who could influence a game beyond just "providing good minutes" off the bench. They could all be the star on any given night. I'm not saying the Magic have reached that level yet, but Anthony Black is the type of player who gets them closer to being that.