2023 NBA Draft scouting report: Anthony Black

Anthony Black is a big playmaking guard who projects as valuable connective tissue for aspiring contenders in the NBA. 

Anthony Black walked into a difficult situation at Arkansas. The Razorbacks were littered with elite freshmen and potential NBA prospects, making the path to consistent production and relevance harder than it may have been with a lesser program.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Black. His shooting percentages left a lot to be desired and the Razorbacks’ lack of spacing offensively did the 19-year-old no favors. And yet, Black still projects as a potential top-10 pick because of his very modern skill set.

Drawing comparisons to Lonzo Ball and Dyson Daniels, Black is next in the increasingly long line of big, connective-tissue guards primed for immediate NBA success. While Black doesn’t have the same star-level scoring upside of his lottery counterparts, he does enough of the small things to convince NBA decision-makers of his winning potential.

Anthony Black NBA Draft bio

Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 198 pounds
Birthdate: January 20, 2004
Position: Point Guard/Shooting Guard
Offensive Role: Connective playmaker
Defensive Role: Do-it-all guard
Projected Draft Range: 5-14

NBA Draft highlights

Strengths

Black is one of the smartest players on the board. He makes rapid-fire decisions, facilitating ball movement and greasing the wheels for his offense. Station him off the ball, and he will thrive as a cutter and occasional spot-up shooter. Ask him to run the show, and Black is a twitchy ball-handler who’s comfortable probing the defense out of pick-and-rolls and firing dimes on the move.

Players with Black’s combination of size, ball-handling skills, and athleticism aren’t all that common. He’s great at changing speed or direction at the drop of a hat, keeping his defender off-balance and exploiting the subsequent seams in the defense.

What separates Black from players like Lonzo Ball, for example, is that he’s quite dangerous moving downhill. He can elevate and finish through traffic at the rim and he’s adept at making defenders pay for errant closeouts on the perimeter.

Black is going to hold special appeal for aspiring contenders who need an immediate-impact player who doesn’t require a lion’s share of the offensive touches. Black is comfortable making plays on the ball, but he’s equally brilliant moving without the ball and influencing the game in a more complementary fashion.

On the defensive end, Black is a whirlwind of activity in passing lanes. He’s great at forcing turnovers and kickstarting transition possessions. He can also slide his feet and stonewall ball-handlers at the point of attack. There’s undeniable appeal in a 6-foot-7 playmaker who can defend 1-3 on a given night.

Weaknesses

Black shot roughly 30 percent from deep this season. He’s not a reliable shooter right now and NBA defenses will make him prove that he can knock down shots before guarding him on the perimeter.

That’s where Black’s creation upside gets complicated. He’s big and shifty, but right now he’s quite ineffective trying to score off the bounce. If he can’t get to the rim the odds of a successful scoring possession tank hard. His mechanics aren’t seamless and he will have to work hard if he wants to elevate beyond his high-level role player projections.

NBA teams in search of their next star will probably look past Black. He just doesn’t score well enough. And, if the shooting falters significantly, then there will be valid concerns about Black’s viability in the postseason. He hit 70.5 percent of his free throws at Arkansas; not terrible, but not exactly an indicator of untapped touch.

Final summary

Black should be an immediate impact player in the NBA. Even if the offense takes time to progress, he’s too smart to flunk out completely and he’s an absolute menace on defense. He can play point guard in spurts, or a more guard-heavy team can just deploy him on the wing.

Teams like New Orleans, Los Angeles, Orlando — the aspirant contenders who have their star creators in place — should be giving Black long, hard looks. 19-year-olds who think the game so well are rare and most of them find their way to success, even if it’s not always in the way pre-draft analysts expect. If he becomes an average spot-up shooter, then a lot of the offensive panic subsides and Black can freely influence the game as a slasher and passer.