Anthony Black is on his way to potentially becoming a top 10 pick during the 2023 NBA Draft. Black is a lengthy, skilled forward who stands at six foot seven. He has a huge build and is a strong athlete who can play above the rim and possesses deceptive quickness.
Black is an excellent ball-handler, playmaker, and offensive coordinator. The passing is a key component of his ability at the next level, whether he is playing point guard or on the perimeter. He consistently seeks to share the ball and has excellent pass-ahead vision.
While he is not yet a consistent three-point shooter, he is a decent defender and shooter as well. While frequently being a pass-first player, he does an excellent job of creating his own offense when necessary.
Black is a really talented athlete who breezes all over the floor and makes it appear effortless. He plays with more technique than twitchiness, and he makes good use of his large size.
There seem to be obvious weaknesses in Black’s argument for him possibly going early in the draft, where a few flawed but intriguing players are in the running to go off the board after Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson hear their names called.
Black is not a strong three-point shooter, so as a rookie, it shouldn’t be anticipated of him to be a consistent catch-and-shoot threat from NBA range, despite the fact that he has scored the ball far better than the projected overall.
He has been effective near the rim and consistently finds a way to score in transition, but he hasn’t performed all that well while moving to his strong hand.
The delayed nature of his career gives space for a ton of development since he’s still fairly unrefined. He has definite NBA-caliber physical features with the potential to add muscularity and explosiveness to his actions.
Black also has the passing and handling ability to run a team. The expectation that he will average 20 points per game in his rookie year might be hard to believe but, NBA teams should be high on the nearly perfect passing ability that he displays.
Over the ensuing years, he will need to build up his strength and muscle.
Although he might never be a high-volume 3-point shooter, he should become more reliable and at ease from downtown. Black’s future has him heading toward the NBA but time will tell what slot he ends up with as he continues to rack up points and improve his game.
