Magic Rookies Must 'Earn Their Minutes,' Says Jeff Weltman

Anthony Black and Jett Howard are entering a crowded and hungry Orlando Magic roster, one that can no longer guarantee playing time for everyone.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 26, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - There could soon be a logjam in the Orlando Magic rotation.

After selecting Anthony Black and Jett Howard in the lottery of last week's NBA Draft, there are now two more mouths to feed in the backcourt.

However, unlike the previous two years where Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero were given minutes early given the team's rebuilding situation, Black and Howard won't have as easy of a waltz to the starting lineup and consistent minutes as the rookies of the past two years have had.

"Hopefully our team is growing to the place where it'll be more difficult for rookies to earn their minutes," Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. "I think that's the expectation that we have is as our team gets better. It's not like we're giving these minutes to 33 year olds, you know, but as our young guys grow and indoctrinate themselves into the NBA and, and in winning ways, hopefully winning habits, winning routines, and with health. Hopefully we're getting to a place where it becomes, uh, you know, rookies have to earn their time."

Black, a 6-8 point guard, will have to compete alongside Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony for minutes. However, given his size and ability to defend multiple positions, Black could fixture in lineups alongside those point guards as well.

Howard, a 6-7 shooting guard, will likely be in direct competition with Gary Harris, but will be fighting for minutes alongside his Michigan teammates Wagner and Caleb Houstan.

The roster already feels jam-packed, and this is before free agency, where the Magic is bound to add another piece or two.

The team is getting deeper, and that should light a fire under every player on the team knowing that playing time will no longer be guaranteed.

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Published Jun 26, 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.