Just how many more excuses do we have for AB?

[The-Stallion70]

The team made a significant investment taking him fifth overall. You are typically looking for a star when you are picking that high, not a sub-20% usage Moe Harkless clone.

Kid has shown defensive versatility and some passing sense but offense is king in the current NBA and if you can't put pressure on the defense as a threat to score your team is basically playing 4on5.

With Paolo out it is now put up or shut up time for AB. He needs to show more offense and not resemble Killian Hayes 2.0.

[VFX]

The team made a significant investment taking him fifth overall. You are typically looking for a star when you are picking that high, not a sub-20% usage Moe Harkless clone.

Kid has shown defensive versatility and some passing sense but offense is king in the current NBA and if you can't put pressure on the defense as a threat to score your team is basically playing 4on5.

With Paolo out it is now put up or shut up time for AB. He needs to show more offense and not resemble Killian Hayes 2.0.

The only two guys in that draft range that could have been selected over AB are Cason Wallace (#10) and Dereck Lively (#12). I was vocal about Wallace because he was the best point guard on the board while his defense is Suggs-esque.

Anthony Black has the highest upside, but he does a lot of little things on the court without showing the ability to run an offense. He’s a nice player… just not what Orlando really needs at this moment. They can continue to develop him while searching for an actual point guard.

Not to be antagonistic, but you specifically also called Suggs a bust after year 1&2 before we even knew what he is capable of becoming. That kinda revokes your hot takes on prospects entirely.

[RichCollab]

AB is looking solid. What are you talking about? He is finally getting quality minutes. He is going to blossom.

AB is already the 4th most important player on this team.

[Optimus_Steel]

Fans are so impatient.

[cedric76]

The team made a significant investment taking him fifth overall. You are typically looking for a star when you are picking that high, not a sub-20% usage Moe Harkless clone.

Kid has shown defensive versatility and some passing sense but offense is king in the current NBA and if you can't put pressure on the defense as a threat to score your team is basically playing 4on5.

With Paolo out it is now put up or shut up time for AB. He needs to show more offense and not resemble Killian Hayes 2.0.

[pepe1991]

Jett Howard pick was way more problematic.

Livley, Dick, Hawkins, Jaquez and Podziemski right there.

Livley was good enough as a rookie to be in rotation in nba finals.
Dick , aside from golden marketing opportunity for +18 audience, looks to be way nba ready than Jett.
Ditto to Hawkins, who looks damn solid in first 6 years.

Jaquez is guy that can play on 30 teams for +20 min on each and every one of them.
Podziemski without any issues got himself into rotation of 46 wins team, as his competition was guy named Steph.



I have no issues with Black pick. Some people overvalue him, and that's fine by me, but he has upside and talent, and very high defensive potential.
But majority of current "Black problems" only exist because of roster construction ,that makes no sense whatsoever.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Franz and Paolo really got you guys impatient when it comes to draft picks.

[Bakomagic]

Crazy how, Suggs development has a lot of you looking really stupid, but that doesn’t stop y’all from making the same mistakes hahahahaha.

[eyriq]

Crazy how, Suggs development has a lot of you looking really stupid, but that doesn’t stop y’all from making the same mistakes hahahahaha.

/thread

[cedric76]

Crazy how, Suggs development has a lot of you looking really stupid, but that doesn’t stop y’all from making the same mistakes hahahahaha.

Fools never learn from their mistakes

[MasterGMer]

Comon, of course AB is critical to our team's success and we all know that. I might also agree he is our 4th most important player plus the future.

He is improving and he has more usage rate than last year. But he still need to work on his scoring game.

But I think he will be our most improved player this year. Easy call

[RichCollab]

Comon, of course AB is critical to our team's success and we all know that. I might also agree he is our 4th most important player plus the future.

He is improving and he has more usage rate than last year. But he still need to work on his scoring game.

But I think he will be our most improved player this year. Easy call

100% AB has a ton improvement needed.

[Ducklett]

Crazy how, Suggs development has a lot of you looking really stupid, but that doesn’t stop y’all from making the same mistakes hahahahaha.

/thread

As one of the Suggs lovers and Wagner haters from draft night, and then defending Suggs all rookie season while Franz popped off, I can tell you MOST OF THE BOARD was calling Suggs a joke, bad pick, look at Scottie, etc all rookie year. It wasn't just The_stallion or whoever is getting dumped on in here.

[basketballRob]

The team made a significant investment taking him fifth overall. You are typically looking for a star when you are picking that high, not a sub-20% usage Moe Harkless clone.

Kid has shown defensive versatility and some passing sense but offense is king in the current NBA and if you can't put pressure on the defense as a threat to score your team is basically playing 4on5.

With Paolo out it is now put up or shut up time for AB. He needs to show more offense and not resemble Killian Hayes 2.0.

He was drafted 6th. Shepperd is 5 months younger and can't get off the bench. Posters don't know how to adjust for age in their expectations. Not you in particular, but most posters. Given ABs age, he has been sensational. I didn't like him off the ball last night at SF. He looks best with the ball in his hands.

I wouldn't trade AB for Sheppard.

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[JF5]

Crazy how, Suggs development has a lot of you looking really stupid, but that doesn’t stop y’all from making the same mistakes hahahahaha.

/thread

I've said this previously and also you can look them up both as prospects. Suggs was graded as an elite prospect with all the necessary tools to be a good offensive player, and a potential cornerstone for a franchise back in a strong draft class back in 2021 as he was drafted 5th.

Black on the other had was graded as good player while likely to be a role player with nice physical tools who didn't have much offensive upside, Being drafted 6th in a much weaker draft in 2023.

This is the problem with threads like this you compare players without much context or thorough analysis with 2 ENTIRELY different playstyles and skillsets coming into the league.

Can Black become a better offensive player? Definitely. But he's such a bad offensive player and doesn't have sort of skillsets he's shown before or now to show he'll be better than a Bruce Brown or Lonzo Ball offensively. You have to have some sort of pretty decent to good offensive baseline to show you can become a star. Black has shown absolutely nothing to say he'll reach those heights.

[basketballRob]

I think Black has a shot at being an all-star.

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[KillMonger]

He's 20 years old gang..... When did it ever get to "put up or shut up" to someone at 20 in his second year? Relax..... He has time

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[Statlanta]

The team made a significant investment taking him fifth overall. You are typically looking for a star when you are picking that high, not a sub-20% usage Moe Harkless clone.

Kid has shown defensive versatility and some passing sense but offense is king in the current NBA and if you can't put pressure on the defense as a threat to score your team is basically playing 4on5.

With Paolo out it is now put up or shut up time for AB. He needs to show more offense and not resemble Killian Hayes 2.0.

Mo Bamba 2.0, Mario Hezonja 2.0.

[SHAQ32]

Poor man's Delonte West

[drsd]

I'm more worried about Caldwell-Pope's poor shooting than anything on Black's resume.