Coming into the year, the Orlando Magic were expected to make another leap in the Eastern Conference. A huge reason for that was Paolo Banchero, who was expected to begin his leap to superstardom in his third season.
He started the year off averaging 29 points, nine rebounds, and six assists per game, before going down with a torn oblique that will keep him sidelined for six weeks. This included a 50 point outburst against the Indiana Pacers in the fourth game of the season.
In Banchero’s absence, Orlando has needed multiple guys to step up. Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner have spearheaded the effort on both ends of the floor, however one guy that has surprisingly struggled is Anthony Black.
Anthony Black needs to step up for the Orlando Magic
Coming into the year, Black was expected to take the next step in his game offensively and that has yet to happen. His shooting has remained about the same, as he has shot 41 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range. He is only shooting 30 percent on catch-and-shoot threes and his true shooting percentage is at 50 percent on the season.
In addition to that, the Magic only have a +2.3 net rating with Black on the court, vs. +5.2 when he’s off the court. It is not a huge difference, but it’s not like Orlando is winning Black’s minutes by a large margin.
In Black’s defense, his playmaking and defense have been pretty good to start the season. Black is fourth on the team with 6.9 potential assists per game and has done a good job of taking care of the ball with only two turnovers per game.
Black’s defensive metrics are promising as well. Opponents are only shooting 59 percent in the restricted area against Black and 38 percent in the mid range area. He has done a great job of using his length to stay in front of defenders and his on ball pressure has been encouraging as well.
His defensive pairing with Suggs has been stout, as the duo are only allowing 98 points per 100 possessions when they are both on the floor together.
While Black is impacting the game in other ways, he has still left a lot to be desired on the offensive end. He’s had some encouraging outings recently, but Orlando needs to see more from the second-year guard if they want to survive Banchero’s absence.