Magic's Jalen Suggs Praises New Rookies Anthony Black, Jett Howard: 'They've Been Great!'

Orlando Magic rookies Anthony Black and Jett Howard are coming into the league with high expectations.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 16, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic training camp is just around the corner and the team hopes to return to the playoffs after a four-year drought.

The team didn't change much from the previous year, signing only one outside free agent in Joe Ingles to provide veteran guidance and bringing in a pair of lottery picks to keep the youth movement going with Anthony Black and Jett Howard. Magic guard Jalen Suggs says that Black and Howard have already added value to the team.

Anthony Black Jett Howard — Jeremy Brener - The Magic Insider

"They have been great," Suggs said. "I think they’ve come in and (are) willing to learn and grow; they’ve taken strides already. I’m very excited to see what they’ll bring and continue to be there (for them). I’m still in that middle ground where I’m not old but I’ve seen a couple of training camps and I’ve seen the league and have been in some games so (I’m just) trying to teach them and share with them what I’ve experienced so far."

Black, 19, was the No. 6 overall pick in June's draft. He stands at a staggering 6-7 height for a point guard and takes advantage of it by being able to defensively take on positions up to small forward. The SEC All-Freshman team member plays with a pass-first mind as he only put up 9.1 shots in 34.9 minutes per game.

Howard, also 19, was taken with the No. 11 pick in the draft this summer. Howard played one season for the University of Michigan and averaged 14.2 points while shooting 36.8 percent from deep on 7.3 attempts per game.

Black and Howard, along with the rest of the Magic, begin training camp on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Published Sep 16, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.