Anthony Black's improvement from his rookie year will go a long way toward determining how big of a role he has on the Orlando Magic next season.
Earning more minutes won't be easy, though. Orlando returns much of the same roster from a team that won 47 games last season and added a proven veteran guard with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. With the 6-foot-7 guard seeking a larger role in his second season, Black revealed coach Jamahl Mosley thinks he can help Orlando the most by pushing the pace in transition and scoring on fast breaks.
"He thinks I can help us in transition because we have a really good half-court offense," Black said. "Just to help us in transition and get back to being aggressive and playing that style of basketball."
Orlando's offense was in the bottom 10 in many categories on offense last season. Among them were fast break points, where it ranked 27th in the league. Black, 20, showed signs of improving in that area in his first game of the NBA 2K25 Summer League. Seven of his 20 points came on fast breaks in the Magic's 106-79 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 12.
On a team with as much depth as Orlando has, the ability of a player to find a niche or something they thrive at is imperative to earning consistent playing time. If Black can grow in that area and improve the Magic's ability to score on fast breaks, that could be what earns him a consistent role in his second season.
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