Anthony Black

And-Ones: Harrell, Covington, Neto, Awards, More

November 25th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA big man Montrezl Harrell, who won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020, is currently playing in Australia’s National Basketball League as a member of the Adelaide 36ers. The 30-year-old received a three-game suspension on Monday for his part in on- and off-court incidents during a Nov. 17 game vs. Melbourne United.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN details, United big man Rob Loe drew a charge on Harrell early in the fourth quarter of the contest, and while both players were on the ground, Harrell shoved Loe. That led to a “melee involving most players” for both teams. Harrell appeared to throw a punch at one opponent and “multiple open-handed strikes” at other United players, per Uluc.

Directly after the on-court scuffle, 36ers staffers and players — including Harrell and teammate Kendric Davis — were involved another altercation, this time with spectators behind the team’s bench. Davis received a two-game suspension for initiating contact in that incident, which saw four spectators ejected. Davis claimed a fan directed racist language at him; the United put out a statement saying they were unable to corroborate that allegation.

The 36ers have 24 hours to appeal the suspensions, according to Uluc, who says Harrell has suggested multiple times on social media he may not return to Australia, pending the outcome of his punishment; he’s currently back home in the United States with the NBL season on pause due to the FIBA window (qualifiers for international tournaments).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHype, free agent forward Robert Covington says he’s confident he can still contribute to NBA teams. “Ain’t nothing changed,” Covington said. “Someone that can give energy on the other side, the defensive side, can come in space the floor, move the ball, do the little things that won’t show up on the stat sheet, what made me very effective.” The 33-year-old, who holds 11 seasons of NBA experience, dealt with a knee injury for most of last season, last suiting up on December 30, 2023, but he says he’s fully healthy now. Covington is currently playing for Team USA in a qualifying round for the AmeriCup. One recent report said he might be open to playing in the G League as he attempts to make it back to the NBA.
Former NBA guard Raul Neto has signed a rest-of-season contract with Spanish club Barcelona, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Neto, who played eight seasons in the NBA from 2015-23, missed all of last season with a knee injury, but he’s “fully recovered” now. Barcelona was looking for backcourt help after losing Nicolas Laprovittola to a season-ending ACL and meniscus injury, Askounis notes.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists his award winners for the first month of the 2024/25 season. As of now, O’Connor has Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the frontrunner to win his fourth MVP in five years, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama leading the race for Defensive Player of the Year, and Sixers guard Jared McCain as the league’s top rookie.
On a somewhat related note, with the first month of the season finished, several writers for The Athletic to compiled a list of each team’s biggest concern, with one exception — the 17-1 Cavaliers don’t have a have a real weakness right now, says Joe Vardon.
Magic guard Anthony Black and Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson are two of the six young players John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights as showing marked improvement in their season seasons.

Magic Notes: Da Silva, F. Wagner, Black, Suggs

November 23rd, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tristan da Silva didn’t appear to have a path to consistent playing time when the Magic took him with their first-round pick in June, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. That changed when Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right oblique in late October. Da Silva took his place in the starting lineup and has averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 11 games as a starter.

“He’s a player,” Gary Harris said. “He’s smart. He understands where he’s supposed to be. He works hard. It’s just a testament to who he is. He was drafted for a reason.”

At 23, da Silva was old for a prospect, which is part of the reason he was still on the board when Orlando picked at No. 18. He fits the Magic’s profile for a forward with his size (6’8″ with a 6’10” wingspan) and he was a capable outside shooter in college. He has shown an ability to take care of the ball, compiling a 3.57 assist-to-turnover ratio that leads all rookies who’ve appeared in at least 11 games, and he’s contributing on defense as well.

Beede notes that coach Jamahl Mosley will eventually face a difficult decision. Before Banchero’s injury, da Silva had logged five total minutes, all on opening night. His performance over the last three weeks may be enough to keep him in the rotation once Banchero returns.

There’s more from Orlando:

Franz Wagner is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week and is making a bid for his first All-Star appearance, notes Law Murray of The Athletic. Wagner has been the focal point of the Magic’s offense since Banchero got hurt, as his touches per game have risen from 46.4 in October to 72.2 in November. With his unique combination of size and skills, Wagner told Murray he has difficulty selecting a player to compare himself to. “I don’t know if there’s someone who I would say I play really close to,” he said. “I think I’m definitely like a tall guard, I would say that. I’m a perimeter player, but pretty tall. I try to do a lot of different stuff out there. And I hope when you see me play, you see that I’m having fun and play for the right reasons. That’s what I hope people see when they see me play.”
Some rival general managers were upset when the Magic gave Wagner a full max extension this summer even though he was coming off somewhat of a down season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. They viewed the deal as inflationary because it would cause more players to demand the same terms. However, sources tell Windhorst that Orlando’s front office was happy to reward Wagner for the work ethic and character he displayed during his first three NBA seasons, and they expect the contract to be less of a strain on the salary cap once the new television money starts rolling in.
Anthony Black has improved in his second season and there’s speculation that he and Jalen Suggs could eventually challenge Boston for the league’s best defensive backcourt, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps adds in the same piece. “I think he can be their long-term point guard,” a scout told Bontemps. “That allows Suggs to play off the ball, where he looks more comfortable.”

Magic Notes: Wagner, Depth, Black, Isaac

November 14th, 2024 at 5:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Magic have been playing without Paolo Banchero as he deals with a torn right oblique, but Franz Wagner has been playing like an All-Star in his absence, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel opines.

As Bianchi points out, Wagner is one of just seven players averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, with the former Michigan forward joining stars Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, James Harden and De’Aaron Fox in that company.

The former No. 8 overall pick has yet to earn an All-Star nod, but he has increased his scoring average every season and is putting up 19.3 points since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. In his last five games, Wagner is averaging 27.8 PPG and 6.0 APG.

We have more on the Magic:

Life without Banchero proved to be difficult initially, as the Magic lost their first four games without their All-Star forward after his injury, including three by double figures. Since then, they’ve won four straight. Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes that Wagner’s All-Star level play is helping, but they’re also getting terrific defensive contributions from the likes of Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac and Anthony Black. “I’m so proud of them, so proud of this group,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It wasn’t a pretty one, but it’s the way you have to try to get it done in this league, and these guys embraced it. [They] easily could’ve given in. But we talk about how much grit this team has, and you see how connected they are. They fought through the shooting lulls at times, the turnovers early, and they found a way.“
Although rookie Tristan Da Silva has taken over Banchero’s spot in the starting lineup, the team has been closing games with Black next to the starters, as the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede details. “Super comfortable,” Black said. “When I play with [the starters], my role is super simple and easy — just affect the game on the defensive end.“
Isaac played in both games of the Magic’s home back-to-back against Charlotte on Tuesday and Indiana on Wednesday. He began playing in back-to-backs last season for the first time since 2019. This season, it’s not a question whether he’s going to play in both games, Beede writes in the same piece. “It does feel like a big deal,” Isaac said. “Especially when it’s not so much of a thought anymore. That’s huge. … It’s been a slow start to the season but I’m starting to feel like myself again with just my energy level, getting back to running up and down and playing heavier minutes. I feel great.“

Southeast Notes: F. Wagner, Black, Hornets, Hunter, Butler

November 9th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic are learning how to be successful while Paolo Banchero recovers from a torn right oblique that will keep him out indefinitely, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Other players are stepping up to help replace the 29 points per game that Banchero was averaging before the injury. Much of the burden falls on Franz Wagner, who set the tone with 17 first quarter points Friday in a win over New Orleans.

“It’s no secret that he’s our guy right now,” Anthony Black said. “Getting him going is important for us, not just for [Friday], but going forward. We’re telling him, ‘Keep being aggressive, keep shooting the ball, keep getting to the rim, and just be you out there and let us play off of you.’ It’s definitely good that he’s going and we need him to keep that going, so we’re trusting him.”

Black has also looked to increase his scoring output, registering 10 of his 11 points in the second half Friday. Black has become a full-time rotation member in his second NBA season, and his numbers have increased across the board.

“He’s so tall, quick and twitchy that you can’t really guard him going into the paint,” Moritz Wagner said of Black. “Honestly, that’s what we’ve been doing these last year fours — trying to score in the paint. It’s our DNA. That’s not going to change win or lose.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Hornets are another short-handed team that is finding ways to win, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Miles Bridges and Nick Richards both joined Mark Williams on the injured list this week, but Charlotte defeated Indiana on Friday night with a depleted frontcourt rotation. “We talked today about we don’t make excuses, we just keep making progress,” coach Charles Lee said. “And it’s not about some of the injuries. “You are like, ‘Oh, why is this happening to us?’ No, ‘What is this trying to teach us, what is this trying to help us learn to do better, to grow from?’ And I think the guys have just kind of embraced the adversity and kind of use this as time to keep getting better and trusting each other.”
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter missed his eighth straight game tonight, but it was due to “personal family reasons” rather than the right knee issue he has been dealing with, according to Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. Hunter and his partner welcomed their first child Saturday morning, and he’s making sure the mother and baby are both OK. Williams adds that Hunter was hoping to return to action this week if the baby hadn’t arrived and he now expects to play next week.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Minnesota after leaving Friday’s contest in the first quarter with a sprained right ankle, relays Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. It will be the first missed game of the season for Butler, who has accepted the challenge of trying to be available more often during the regular season. It’s also another obstacle for a 3-5 Miami team that’s already dealing with adversity. “This group has got to figure it out,” Duncan Robinson said. “We got some good stretches defensively. You’ve got to learn how to win. You’ve got guys that have done it before. It’s just not going to come automatically.”

Magic Notes: Carter, Bitadze, Anthony Black

November 6th, 2024 at 5:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic starting center Wendell Carter Jr. has suffered a left foot plantar fascia strain and is out for the immediate future, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Carter missed Monday’s game in Oklahoma City and has also been ruled out for Wednesday’s matchup with the Pacers.

Beede adds that, after missing four games with a left foot tendon strain of his own, reserve center Goga Bitadze made his return to the hardwood on Monday, starting in Carter’s place. Bitadze notched 11 points, nine boards, four dimes, a block, and a steal in his first game back.

“He was fantastic,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “His ability to come off of not playing so many games, to give us a presence at the rim, defensively in the pick-and-roll he was great. He did a good job play-making.”

Bitadze started 33 games in the Carter’s stead last year when the Magic’s top center went down with an injury.

There’s more out of Orlando:

In a conversation with Spencer Davies of Responsible Gambler, second-year guard Anthony Black reflected on his expanding role with the Magic. “It definitely feels like a little bit of progress but just trying to get in a rhythm, get a feel for it and just do what the team needs me to do for real as the season goes,” Black said. “It’s slowing down game-by-game. I think there’s still another level to which it can kinda slow down for me, so I guess right now we’re just gonna keep trying to take it day by day and see. Let it slow down as it slows down, really. Just keep playing.”
During last year’s hard-fought, seven-game first round playoff series loss to the Cavaliers, Black played some mop-up duty in Games 3 and 4. He otherwise was not a part of Mosley’s rotations, including in Game 7. “It was tough, but I wanted my team to win,” Black said. “I was watching the game as a fan, hoping we won the game. Just tried to do that and say things as I saw from the bench… I learned a lot just about the game, the flow, the importance of each possession. Just how important it is to win.” So far this fall, the second-year guard is averaging 24.6 minutes per game.
In case you missed it, former Magic point guard D.J. Augustin recently announced his retirement following a 15-year career.

Southeast Notes: KCP, Black, Gibson, Hornets, Wizards

October 16th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic haven’t been major players in free agency in recent years, having focused on building through the draft and re-signing their own players. However, they made a rare splurge over the summer, signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66MM contract.

Head coach Jamahl Mosley is pleased with the way Caldwell-Pope is fitting in with the team this fall, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). The two-time champion has immediately established himself as a leader who isn’t afraid to offer guidance to the Magic’s rookies and veterans alike.

“He does it in such subtle ways,” Mosley said. “We do drills every day with recognizing spacing on the floor, and he’s constantly talking to our wings about filling the corners. Why? Because it’s so important to keep that corner filled because it gives the other guys room to operate and play. He does it by example but then he’s going and having individual conversations with guys about the importance of the ‘why’ you do it.”

Besides providing veteran leadership and championship experience, Caldwell-Pope will provide much-needed floor spacing for an Orlando team that ranked second-last in the NBA in three-point attempts per game (31.3) last season.

“It just helps having more shooting out there,” Magic forward Franz Wagner said of his new teammate. “Having someone that has played a lot of important games, knows defenses, can talk the different coverages and give us pointers. … So we’re more organized out there.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Magic guard Anthony Black had a solid rookie season in 2023/24, establishing himself as a member of the rotation by making 33 starts and averaging 16.9 minutes per game in 69 outings. With Markelle Fultz no longer on the roster, Black is poised to take over more point guard duties in his second NBA season and his teammates believe he’s ready for that challenge, as Beede outlines for The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “He looks a lot better,” forward Paolo Banchero said. “Just from year one to year two, you can tell he’s way more comfortable out there. He has a lot more command of himself and others on the court.”
New Hornets big man Taj Gibson is providing the kind of veteran presence the team has lacked in recent years, says Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte is carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Gibson on a partially guaranteed deal, but the expectation is that the club will find room for him on the 15-man regular season roster. Head coach Charles Lee said the Hornets are “so grateful” to have the 39-year-old around. “I can see why he’s such a popular guy,” Lee said. “He’s such a phenomenal person. I think he’s added a lot to our locker room. From a human standpoint, I think that his professionalism brings another level of structure and routine, and the guys have a ton of respect for him because of what he has accomplished as a player.”
In a separate story for The Charlotte Observer, Boone takes a look at the new, state-of-the-art practice facility the Hornets are building across the street from Spectrum Center. The city of Charlotte is providing $30MM for the project, with team ownership expected to cover the remaining costs.
Some minor preseason injuries have given Wizards head coach Brian Keefe the opportunity to experiment with new lineup combinations in the weeks leading up to the season, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, who notes that Keefe has deployed a different starting five in each of the team’s past three games.

Magic Exercise 2025/26 Options On Banchero, Black, Howard

October 4th, 2024 at 2:12pm CST by Rory Maher

The Magic announced (via Twitter) that they have exercised their 2025/26 rookie scale options on Paolo Banchero, Anthony Black and Jett Howard.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2022 draft, Banchero won Rookie of the Year in ’22/23 and followed that up with his first All-Star appearance in ’23/24. Now that his fourth-year option for ’25/26 (worth $15,334,769) has been picked up, Banchero will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

Obviously, it was a foregone conclusion that Orlando would exercise its option on Banchero, who recently discussed what he’s been working to improve as he enters his third season. He’ll earn $12,160,800 in ’24/25.

Black, a 6’7″ guard, and Howard, a 6’8″ wing, were both lottery picks in 2023 (No. 6 and No. 11, respectively). Howard only played 67 regular season minutes over 18 NBA games, having spent much of his rookie season in the G League. Black was a rotation regular though, averaging 4.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 69 regular season games (16.9 minutes per contest).

Both players were already under contract this season. This move means they’ll earn guaranteed salaries for their third seasons in ’25/26. Black will make $7,970,280 that year, while Howard will earn $5,529,720.

Our tracker has the full list of rookie scale team options for ’25/26. The deadline for teams to make those decisions is Oct. 31.

And-Ones: Sophomores, PFs, Title Favorites, 2025 Cap Room

August 27th, 2024 at 6:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 2023 draft class was a massive success, with rookies like Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller looking like stars for their respective teams. The depth and variety in last season’s rookies was noteworthy, with some like Jaime Jaquez and Brandin Podziemski impressing for playoff contenders as later and older draft picks, while others like Amen Thompson and Dereck Lively shouldered big minutes as younger players.

That doesn’t even factor in Chet Holmgren, who missed what would have been his rookie season in 2022/23 with an injury. In most years, the competition between Wembanyama and other rookies would’ve been nonexistent, but Holmgren stepped forward as another star rookie who helped the Thunder secure the No. 1 seed.

In an article for ESPN+, Jeremy Woo takes a look at and ranks the NBA’s 10m most interesting sophomores. Woo’s list is subjective, so he didn’t include players like Jaquez, Podziemski and Lively since they don’t have as much to gain as others on this list in his eyes, focusing instead on players who hold more intrigue due to their upside

Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama (No. 1), Holmgren (No. 3) and Miller (No. 4) all rank highly. Woo has Houston’s Thompson twin ranking in at No. 2 though, explaining that he has the highest potential of any player on the Rockets and opining that he’s in an ideal situation for his development. Orlando’s Anthony Black also ranks highly as an impact player who has the potential to help shape the Magic’s future.

We have more from around the basketball world:

After ranking other positions, HoopsHype released their power forward rankings ahead of the 2024/25 season. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the obvious pick at No. 1, but both Zion Williamson (No. 2) and Paolo Banchero (No. 3) rose after successful seasons. GG Jackson came in at No. 22 in the rankings following an impressive rookie season as a second-round pick. Jackson came in at No. 10 on Woo’s list of intriguing sophomores.
The Celtics rank as an early favorite to become repeat champions after an offseason in which they retained all their key pieces and extended some. However, health and general luck could work against them next season, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report opines. No team has repeated as champs since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, so a Boston repeat is far from a given, even though they had a tremendous offseason. Pincus ranks the top 10 contenders in the NBA and offers arguments against each one winning next year’s title.
Based on current projections, only the Nets and the Wizards will have enough cap space to offer a max contract next summer, as Danny Leroux of The Athletic observes. Leroux looks over the projected 2025 cap sheets for all 30 teams across the league, identifying the Rockets, Heat and Bulls as some of the more interesting cases in 2025. The Rockets could keep the roster together or might be inclined to part with Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green while opening up as much as $69MM in space. Meanwhile, the Heat’s situation is dependent on what Jimmy Butler wants to do, while the Bulls could create space if they move off Zach LaVine or Nikola Vucevic.

Southeast Notes: Jovic, Adebayo, Gibson, Morgan, Da Silva

July 20th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

An injury prevented Nikola Jovic from facing Bam Adebayo in Wednesday’s exhibition game between Serbia and the U.S., but the Heat teammates are hoping to square off when the countries meet again July 28 in their Olympics opener, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Jovic is making progress in his recovery from a sprained left ankle and fractured toe that has sidelined him throughout the pre-Olympic process, Chiang adds, and there’s optimism he’ll be ready to return by next weekend.

“I think it would have been a great moment for me and Niko to play against each other,” Adebayo said after Wednesday’s meeting. “I’m definitely going to reach out to him, check up on him. I want him to get healthy because he’s on the good side. Need him to get healthy for the season.”

Jovic suffered the injury while participating in a drill at Miami’s Kaseya Center last month. A source tells Chiang that the Heat are confident he’ll be fully recovered by the time training camp begins in early October.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

After signing a one-year deal with the Hornets, Taj Gibson is looking forward to being a veteran leader with a new organization. In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Gibson talks about imparting the knowledge that he has picked up during his 15 NBA seasons. “It was very special for me coming in, because I came into the league in an era when we had multiple veterans on our team that taught you how to be a professional, how to look out for your teammates, how to be tough,” Gibson said. “There were times I would look at the bench and the vets would always give me that look or give me that dinner after a tough game. And it was really beneficial for my career because my career was able to go a long distance.”
Matt Morgan‘s perfect shooting night in the Summer League will give him more attention as he tries to land a two-way NBA contract or a new deal in Europe, per Eurohoops. The Hornets guard, who played for the London Lions last season, made all 11 of his shots from the field, including seven three-pointers, in Friday’s win over Portland.
First-round pick Tristan Da Silva has teamed with last year’s first-rounders Anthony Black and Jett Howard to give the Magic a formidable Summer League trio, observes Josh Cohen of NBA.com. Da Silva believes getting minutes alongside Black and Howard will be beneficial once the season starts, and he complimented team officials for easing his transition into the NBA. “They make it really easy,” he said. “They welcomed me with open arms since day one. Great people, great organization, easy to be around and easy to connect with. From a basketball standpoint, I feel like a lot of the stuff that we did in college (at the University of Colorado) is also applicable to the NBA level from a concept standpoint. So, I feel really comfortable out there.”

Southeast Notes: Smith, Ware, Sarr, Black

July 18th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Dru Smith has been waived four times by the Heat during his NBA career. However, they keep coming back to him, the latest example being this summer, when they signed the guard to a two-way contract.

“The way this organization has treated me, it’s unbelievable,” Smith said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I’m very appreciative of it. At the same time, I’m going to go out there and do everything I can for them, as well. I think the love is reciprocated both ways, which I really appreciate. I just want to continue to get back healthy and then be able to get back out there for this team.”

Smith underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in his right knee, an injury he suffered in November. He’s hopeful that he can return by training camp.

“I think it’s very feasible,” he said. “But you never know, these things are day by day. So as long as everything goes smoothly, I think that’s kind of the plan. But like I said, it’s always up in the air. We just got to make sure everything is going right.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Heat first-rounder Kel’el Ware continues to excel in Summer League action. The former Indiana University center had 24 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday, his third double-double this summer. He also contributed two fourth-quarter blocks. “We continue to challenge him defensively,” Summer League coach Dan Bisaccio told Chiang. “He took that challenge. Everything at the rim was contested. We want to continue to see that. Obviously, this is never enough. But we’re really, really happy with him anchoring our defense.”
Wizards big man Alex Sarr, the second pick in the draft, missed all 15 of his shot attempts in Wednesday’s Summer League game against Portland, ESPN notes. That included seven 3-point tries and he also missed two free throws. He did have nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks in just under 30 minutes. Sarr has shot below 35% in all three of his games in Las Vegas and is shooting 19.5% from the field overall. Sarr spoke to Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina about his goals for his rookie season, including his desire to make an impact at both ends of the floor.
Magic guard Anthony Black didn’t play in Wednesday’s Summer League contest due to a mild ankle sprain, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. He’s averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals in two games this month.

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