The Intrigue behind Anthony Black
The newest version of the tall playmaking guard, Black shows immense ability on both ends of the floor
In the last 5 or so years, the NBA has seen a sudden rise in forwards and bigs who are able to handle the ball and fluidly run the offense. Talented forwards and centers, who are capable of running the offense from time to time, while also being able to play a more traditional forward or big man role, are the new standard for today’s NBA. Anthony Black, if he ever reaches his potential, would be the perfect example of today’s NBA and how anyone of any size is capable of running an NBA offense. 10-20 years ago, Black would’ve been classified as an elite passing wing early in his career, but in today’s NBA, he has developed the skillset to be a true point guard in the NBA. With the size and length of a wing, awesome passing instincts, and very active on ball defense, Black projects to be a stellar two way player with a high ceiling for a 19 year old freshman. Let’s dive in to see how intruiging Anthony Black really is…
Offense:
Prototypically, taller guards tend to fall into two categories. You have the elite shooters who also double as extremely talented passers (LaMelo, Haliburton) or you have the stronger guards who rely on size advantages to dominate inside (SGA, Luka). I see Black as eventually developing as a combination of both. His strengths right now come from his elite PNR navigation and his advanced feel for the game. As he continues to develop, the hope is the shooting and in between game improves, but even at his floor Black shows flashes of being an elite passer at the NBA level and a very good at the rim finisher.
Pick and Roll Navigation:
The pick and roll passing is one of the biggest things I expected to see when I first watched Anthony Black. And he was very impressive. His ability to make sound reads and plays in the pick and roll, really stood out to me.
Here, Black slots a precise pocket pass, the second Makhi Mitchell gets a sliver of space. Black really understands space in the PNR and is great at attacking different coverages. Alabama attempted to defend the pick and roll by switching, and relying on Brandon Miller’s big frame as weakside help as rim deterrence, but Black knew getting the ball to Mitchell would provide Arkansas the biggest advantage.
In this play, Louisville is attempting to defend the pick and roll by playing the big at the level, so as soon as Makhel Mitchell starts to roll, Black flips a pocket pass between the two defenders and Makhel gets an easy lane to the basket. Black understood that with Louisville’s big playing at the level meant that if Mitchell rolled hard, he would get a very easy lane to the basket. So as soon as Makhel got a bit of space, he whips the pass in between the two defenders and Makhel gets fouled at the rim.
Black’s overall feel for the game and his process in the pick and roll is really impressive. He really has an eye for making the right play. His vision is really impressive and has all the tools to be a lead guard in the NBA. Black’s ability to manuever in the pick and roll and make the right play in these situations is some of the best in the draft. With his superior size and vision, pick and roll navigation is going to be a big strength for Black from the get go.
Passing Feel:
Black’s biggest strength on the offensive end is probably his passing feel. His combination of size, feel for the game, and passing vision makes for a very good passing traits and playmaking ability.
His size and vision allows him to manipulate angles and see over the top of the defense. He also rarely gets tunnel vision when attacking the basket and always keeps his head up, looking to make the right play. In the first clip, Black shows this strength, whipping a cross court pass with one hand to a wide open Ricky Council for an open 3. Even when Black is driving to the basket, he has the court awareness and passing acumen to make the right play. He is also very good at manipulating angles to find open guys. He regularly fits the ball into tight angles, using pocket passes, high rainbows, and one handed flips to get the ball in a place where only his teammate can get it. He is an NBA level processor and rarely makes bone headed plays. Even if he doesn’t develop the scoring aspect to become a top flight point guard, Black, at the very worst, will be a high level connector at the NBA level. His vision, IQ, and passing ability are fantastic tools that will translate at the NBA level.
Shooting and Scoring:
Black is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to his scoring process. There are flashes of brilliance where he can mix a defender and get to the rim making a strong finish over a taller big.
But there are also moments where he passes up open mid ranges or just doesn’t use his size to attack the basket.
Black has the potential to be a good scorer at the NBA level, his rim finishing and size are pretty solid as of now. He shot 53% at the rim at Arkansas, which I think will continue to improve as he ages. His size provides an innate advantage at the rim and he is a very underrated athlete.
However, the lack of a jumper and in between game is what will continue to hold him back in the scoring department. He is shot 30% from 3 and 69% from the line. His release is slow and he doesn’t seem super confident as a shooter. As the clip below shows, his jumper looks slow and just isn’t very good at this point.
Both his off the dribble and catch & shoot numbers aren’t fantastic; he only shot 31% on decent volume for both. The jumpshot is where Black will need to improve the most and if he is able to develop it his game as a whole will change for the better. The jumper is Black’s swing skill and it is what will most influence whether he will turn out to be a star or a bust.
Another major place of improvement for Black is the in between game. His shot diet only consisted of 23% from the mid range area and he only convereted 35% of those mid ranges. 35% isn’t an awful number, but given his size and frame the in between game should be his bread an butter. Black has shown flashes of being able to hit a little 10 foot runner, but for the most part he has no real in between game. For a taller guard, who will run a lot of pick and roll at the NBA level, Black will need to develop an in between game to be able to punish teams that will try to run drop coverage against him. He has the capability to use his size to finish at the rim against bigs, but developing an in between game and jumper would introduce a lot more scoring options for Black.
Defense:
The defense is where Anthony Black really shows out as a prospect. As a 6’7 guard, who is both laterally quick and very engaged, Black projects to be an elite off ball defender, with the length to poke out steals and a very good on ball defender. His size, willingness, and length made him a great defender as a freshmen at Arkansas. Black has the potential to make multiple All-Defensive teams in the NBA and be the head of the snake for a very good NBA defense.
Perimeter Defense:
Anthony Black’s perimeter defense for his size is very intruiging. His combination of length, quickness, and IQ is reminiscent of Dyson Daniels from last years draft. However Black’s biggest strength as a perimeter defender is his hands. He has an incredible eye for the ball and he is incredibly good at getting deflections on passes and blocks on contests. Black does have some issues when it comes to overcommiting and relying on his hands, but he projects to be a very good perimeter defender at the NBA level.
As I mentioned above, Black’s biggest strength as a perimeter defender is his tremendous ability to get deflections and blocks on the perimeter. His size and hand eye coordination is really special as a perimeter defender and he is really good at getting his hand on the ball. In the play above, Black shows off his length and hands with a clutch block to seal the game. Black was still in the air, trying to get to Luke Goode, when Goode got the ball passed to him, but his immense length and hand speed allowed him to erase the speed between them in a split second and get his hand on the ball. Black’s quickness, hands, and length are very desireable traits as a perimeter defender and he will be able to come in as a big turnover creator the minute he gets drafted.
This play signifies both strengths and weaknesses of Black. I feel that he didn’t utilize his size as well as he should’ve on the perimeter and let Sears get two feet in the paint, but his superior length affected Sears shot enough to cause the miss. His ability to flip his hips and change directions as a perimeter defender is very impressive, but he doesn’t use his frame and size enough to limit paint touches. He is able to stick with Sears throughout this play, but he doesn’t use his 6 inch size advantage over Mark Sears to prevent him from getting a point blank shot.
Black has the length and side to be a superior perimeter stopper, but he has a tendency to rely too much on his length and hands to poke out steals. His frame and length could be fantastic tools to being an elite perimeter defenders, but he instead he uses it to gamble and poke out steals as an on-ball defender. He still shows incredible flashes of being a perimeter stopper and as this clip shows he uses his length well to contest shots, but with his foot speed, size, and length he is just touching the surface as an on ball defender.
Off Ball Defense:
Anthony Black’s calling card on defense is his off ball defense. With his terrific length, high IQ, and ridiculous hands, Black understands when to make rotations and has the length to be a defensive game wrecker away from the ball. He has the length to be a weakside shot blocker, the anticipation to jump into passing lanes, and the size to recover even if he overcommits. As a whole, Black’s off ball defense is super impressive and he will make an impact in this aspect the minute he steps onto an NBA court.
One of Black’s biggest strengths as an off ball defender is his length. Here Black understood one key thing: there was a low chance that Adou Thierro, a guard who didn’t play much and only ended up having 8 assists over the whole year, would kick the ball out to a 30.7% 3 point shooter in Chris Livingston. Black also knew that even if he attempted the kick out Black had the length and leaping ability to steal the pass. Thus he made a hard rotation to the rim and blocked the shot preventing a layup. Thierro ended up getting bailed out by an NSJ foul, but this weakside rotation encapsulates the upside Black offers as a shot blocking guard. His size and court awareness are two great traits for a guard to have away from the ball.
Black demonstrates his anticipation in this play. He understands that Lance Ware, a dominant lefty, will try to get to the inside of the paint to get to his strong hand. Thus he rotates closer to the ball, to cut off Ware’s angle for the kick out. When Ware gets stonewalled and looks to kick out to Thierro, Black displays his elite hand eye coordination and anticipation as he blocks the pass, creating a fast break oppurtunity for Arkansas. Black’s combination of size, IQ, and length create a very frightening off ball defensive prospect. He is a defensive game wrecker that creates a lot of defelections and turnovers. Most importantly, Black understands where he needs to be and makes good rotations as a defender. His defense as a whole is fantastic and he is one of the best guard defenders in the class.
Overview:
Anthony Black is a very talented NBA propsect, who has the potential of being an All Star level guard. With his combination of playmaking talent, high IQ, size, and nose for the ball, Black, at the worst, projects to be a great connector at the NBA level, who will struggle as a jump shooter and scorer. However, if Black lives up to his potential, he has the potential to be a All Star level guard and an All Defense level defender. My favorite fits for Black in this upcoming draft is Washington, Houston, Orlando, and Utah. Teams that need playmaking and guard play will love to have Anthony Black as their prize rookie. Currently, I have Black at 10th on my big board, but I can easily see him being picked in the top 8. Anthony Black’s skillset and IQ are very good for his age and if he continues to develop, he will be a great NBA player.