Magic Starting 5: Anthony Black Settling Into NBA Life

The Magic Insider lists five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant Orlando Magic news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 12, 2023

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Orlando Magic

1. ANTHONY BLACK'S POISE "His poise level is really high," Magic coach Dylan Murphy said. "I felt like when things were kind of getting a little sketchy for us and a little discombobulated, he was really able to kind of calm this group down, share the ball, make good plays and then it helps when you make shots to get your confidence going."

2. GETTING ACCLIMATED "Those are probably going to be some of the dudes we see in the season," Black said. "It's good kind of getting acclimated to that and kind of the strength and speed of the game. I think definitely it'll help."

3. HOUSTAN'S GOALS "Guys overplaying, just put the ball on the floor, a couple of dribbles and try to use shot fakes to fight that to get fouls and get to the line," Houstan said on Monday. "I feel like that's the easiest basket you can get. Early on, they were jumping out on the 3's, so I found myself being able to get downhill more."

4. KYRIE SIGNS NEW SHOE DEAL "According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Irving is signing a five-year shoe endorsement deal with Chinese sportswear brand ANTA, and the terms of his deal are 'unique.'"

5. MAGIC PLAYS TONIGHT After losing its first two games, the Orlando Magic hopes to grab its first Las Vegas Summer League win against the Indiana Pacers. Tipoff is scheduled for today at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN.

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Published Jul 12, 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.