NBA Summer League is here, which means the Orlando Magic’s two first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, Arkansas point guard Anthony Black and Michigan wing Jett Howard, made their professional debuts in Las Vegas. The Magic took on the Pistons and lost 89-78, but that doesn’t tell the tale of Black and Howard’s first impressions. To do that, here are three reactions to these rookies' debuts at Magic Summer League.

3. Anthony Black is going to have the ball in his hands all the time

At first glance, Anthony Black is everything NBA scouts and draft pundits thought he would be. He is a supersized traditional point guard. At 6-foot-7, Black walks the ball up, runs the break, and conducts the offense like a jumbo Chris Paul.

Black was excellent in his Magic Summer League debut. His final stat line was 27 minutes, 40 seconds played, 7-of-10 from the field, 1-of-2 from 3-point range, 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

It wasn’t perfect by any means. He also had seven turnovers, which needs to come way down as his rookie season approaches. Still, Black was (tied as) the second-leading scorer in the game, and was one of only two Magic players (along with Tyler Hall, who played less than eight minutes) to have a positive plus/minus at +4.

The Pistons rolled out a lineup that could see starts together in the regular season with Marcus Sasser, Ausar Thompson, James Wiseman, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey. On the Magic Summer League side, with Black, Jett Howard, Caleb Houstan, DJ Wilson, and Kevon Harris, Black may be the only significant player in the bunch.

With that in mind, Black’s performance was even more impressive playing with the Magic B team against an NBA-caliber lineup.

Ultimately, though, the big takeaway here was simply that Black is going to have the ball in his hands a lot next season. That is the type of player he is, and that’s who the Magic drafted him to be.

Orlando has a lot of guards, with Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, and Gary Harris. But none of them are the pure, facilitating point guards that Black is, and it is going to be a pleasure watching him run the offense in the regular season alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

2. Jett Howard is going to be frustrating at times

The No. 11 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, Jett Howard, also got his debut at NBA Summer League, but he wasn’t as impressive as the player picked five spots ahead of him.

Howard finished the game playing 29 minutes and 26 seconds and shot 3-of-13 from the field, 2-of-7 from 3-point range, with eight points, two rebounds, four assists, and three steals. He was also tied for a game-worst -15 while he was on the floor.

In the end, it’s one NBA Summer League game, so it’s not time to pull the panic lever yet. Still, Howard didn’t look great, didn’t shoot great, and didn’t play great in this game. He also looked hesitant and times and even lost at points during the game, especially on defense.

And Howard has a smooth, easy game, which is fun to watch when things are going well. But when they’re not, it looks like he’s just floating through the game without giving maximum effort.

Howard’s rookie season will be dependent on his shooting. If he can become a double-digit scorer and shoot at least in the high 30s percentage from deep, he’ll have a solid year. If not, he could spend a lot of time on the bench. And that could become especially troubling if the sharpshooter the Magic passed on, Gradey Dick, has a good shooting rookie campaign with the Toronto Raptors.

1. Both Black and Howard showed off the unheralded parts of their offensive games

To end on a positive note, both Anthony Black and Jett Howard had some moments of brilliance in offensive areas they aren’t known for.

With Howard, he has some excellent passes that led to four assists and created some easy buckets for his teammates. If Howard starts shooting better and his playmaking is, in fact, that good, it will be huge for Banchero and Wagner, as it should get them some great looks during the season.

As for Black, he showed some shooting and scoring punch that should make Magic fans feel great. He bullied smaller guards on the way to the basket and made it look like he can do that anytime he wants. He also hit an “and-one” 3-pointer near the end of the game that made his veteran teammates jump out of their seats in the stands.

If Black can improve on his shooting and scoring, he could be an All-Star, not just a starter in the NBA.