Second-year Magic guard Anthony Black is looking to close the season on a high note, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. He’s averaging 9.0 points and 3.1 assists in 62 games. His minutes have gone up, but he’s started fewer games. His overall efficiency has declined in his second season, though his counting numbers are better.
“Good, bad … I would say mediocre,” Black said when asked to describe his second season. “I don’t think I was able to find enough consistency in just everything I was doing but I definitely think I got a lot better with the opportunities that I’ve had. It’s been good to get some reps.”
When the Magic have been at full strength, Black has been out of the rotation. But with Orlando currently dealing with injuries and trying to stay afloat in the postseason picture, Black is planning to take advantage and end the year strongly. He’s also leaning on veteran teammates like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cory Joseph and Gary Harris for advice.
“They know what it takes to do everything that I’m trying to do,” Black said. “It’s just good having a group of older dudes that have been in the league. Definitely thankful for them.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Magic are searching for good vibes as they continue on the third of a five-game road stretch, Beede writes in a separate story. Orlando currently averages the fewest points in the league (104.3), so that’s been a focus on them as the current holders of the eighth seed in the East. “Practice was great. There was a focus on creating offense, stepping into shots with confidence, execution,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Those small pieces are what we really, really honed in on.”
- Hawks guard Vit Krejci recently returned from an extended absence due to a lumbar fracture. He’s become a key piece of the Hawks over the last year, averaging 7.0 points in 41 games (15 starts). According to Caleb Johnson of 92.9 The Game (Twitter link), Krejci said he also was dealing with a sprained right wrist at the same time of his lumbar injury, and that both occurred on the same play. He made his return on March 10.
- The Wizards are improving in the present, but all their moves have obviously been made toward the future. In a recent observations piece, Varun Shankar of The Washington Post covers the improvements of Washington’s young players like AJ Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly (who is out now due to injury) and Kyshawn George. As Shankar notes, Johnson played his most minutes in a Wizards jersey on Monday, securing six assists.