The Orlando Magic will have to face Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets without the services of Jalen Suggs, which means Anthony Black will need to answer the call.
The Orlando Magic kick off a four-game West Coast trip against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, and they will need third-year guard Anthony Black to step up to the plate.
The Magic will be without Jalen Suggs, who continues his recovery from a left hip contusion suffered in Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal loss to the New York Knicks. In his absence, more responsibility will be placed on Black.
“With Jalen out, the message to him is just be even more aggressive,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said after Wednesday’s practice. “He’s shown how talented he is on the offensive end and defensively—he’s very unique and can guard most positions.”
Black has responded well to an increased role this season. In 26 games, the 21-year-old is averaging 13 points and 1.3 steals. Six of those games Black has started, and he is averaging 13.7 points, 1.2 steals and a block.
“That’s going to be a big challenge for him with Jalen out. Overall, AB has been doing what I’ve seen since we drafted him—he soaks up information, learning from guys like Jalen and Franz. He’s starting to blossom into what we’ve been seeing since his rookie training camp.”
“Super excited for him,” Carter Jr. added. “He’s definitely nowhere near his peak, still got a lot more room to get better, but he’s taken tremendous strides."
The onus will not fall solely on Black to replace what Suggs brings to the floor; it will be a team effort. For Carter Jr, there is one factor in Suggs’ game that will be the most difficult to replace.
“His aggressiveness on both ends of the court,” he said. “We got to make up for that somewhere somehow; maybe all five got to step up their aggressiveness all together. Jalen’s one of those unique guys, you can’t really replace him.”
“You just got to find ways to win games. We know we’re going to be missing some points, his intensity on the defensive end; we just got to find ways to match that or get as close as possible."
Orlando will have its hands full with the Nuggets, who are going into Thursday’s matchup second in the Western Conference with a 19-7 record. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is playing at an elite level; averaging 29.8 points, 12.4 rebounds and 10.8 assists through 25 games.
“I think he’s the best of the best in my opinion,” Carter Jr. said about Jokic. “You kind of know their style of play, but as a scorer he has so many different counters, different moves he can do.”
“He’s a big body too, so when he makes a good move and you’re trying to make up for it, it’s kind of tough because he’s a big body and a willing passer. He’s got a lot of tools in the shed for sure."