Drafted sixth overall, Anthony Black is the highest Arkansas player selected since Sidney Moncrief went fifth to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1979. Black joins the likes of ROY Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and other talent in Orlando. The new Magic guard sat down with HoopsHype to talk about the advice he got for the one year he was at Arkansas, his new teammates, and his tweaked shooting mechanics.
Black was one of approximately 100 NBA players who took part in a two-minute Call of Duty competition during the initial days of the Summer League. The event, which spanned two days, concluded with Jaylin Williams claiming the $10,000 prize.
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Anthony Black: Definitely just leadership, because leadership was a big thing that they always told me from the jump, like from when I got there. They were telling me if you going to be the point guard, even if you’re not like the vet, or the older player, you’re gonna have to learn how to be a leader in some way. Whether that’s on or off the court. So that’s probably the biggest thing.
AB: It’s been fun. We’re overwhelmed with one but I thought we played against a team [Pistons] with a lot of dudes in the league and for most of the game, we were winning or right there with them. So I thought it was definitely a good starting point for our team and it’s definitely been a pretty good experience so far.
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AB: Really just how invested they are in the young players. Obviously, we have a young team but no coaches are staying down there with us, helping practice even the training camp. Some of the training camp guys like helping us get extra work, interacting with us, engaging with us and that kind [of thing] just shows the full family that they claimed to be in our showing that they are.
AB: I have. A lot of what you said is just about the pressure. Just being pressured-free and having fun, really. Obviously, he had a little bit more as the No. 1 pick but yeah, that’s definitely what it was.
AB: Yeah, pretty close. A lot of them showed up to the first Summer League game, which is cool. I got a text from pretty much the whole team on the night I got drafted, and so that was just great to get a text from those dudes. But yeah, like we got a pretty well-connected group already. I definitely know they’re connected. I haven’t had like a year and two together as a team. But I feel like they’re pretty engaged and interact with the rookies well, and just really all the players on the Summer League team.
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AB: I didn’t change it at all at Arkansas, but since the last probably month or three weeks, I’ve just been trying to release it a little high. I feel like it takes the pressure off my arm and it makes it more like a wrist [action]. So definitely just a high release point. Trying to get my footwork up to speed as best as it can be.
AB: I watched pretty much everyone in the NBA. In high school, I watched some Josh Giddey film when he was a rookie, so I kind of seen what it looked like. [Tyrese] Haliburton, Cade [Cunningham], really all the big guards, the big younger guys in the league. LaMelo Ball, those are some of the players I watch if I’m trying to watch for pieces of the game.
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AB: Not really, just because I feel like when I watch stuff like that, I just watch as like a fan of the game, not really like helping my game. I feel like passing is a lot of feel and just anticipation and I don’t think you can really get better at it by watching somebody else do it. I think you either have it or you don’t. You just have to make those reads and those passes a lot of time to keep sharpening.
AB: My strength probably. In Game 1, I was out there getting bumped around, but I feel like once my strength gets to where it probably needs to be in a couple of years, I feel like I’ll be a better player on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, being able to guard the biggest, taller wings.
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AB: During the season a lot, but I play on my PC and I haven’t been home in three months. Like home, home in Dallas, so haven’t played a lot lately. I’m into Warzone.
