Anthony Black 2023 NBA Draft profile: The best lottery pick outside the top three?

The Dallas Mavericks have an important decision coming up here pretty soon, as they are due to pick 10th in the 2023 NBA Draft. They tanked the last few games of the season to get a higher pick, like No. 10, instead of trying to make the play-in tournament. If there were ever a time to hit on a draft pick, it's this one.

The 2023 draft class does not have otherworldy transcendental talents outside Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller. Still, it is pretty deep with guys who can immediately come in and make an impact. 

The Mavericks will look for that when it's their turn to pick. They have a few different needs, so in this case, it's difficult to predict which direction to go, and the depth of the possibilities at pick ten certainly doesn't help. 

Anthony Black 2023 NBA Draft profile: The best lottery pick outside the top three?

We do know that they would love another three and D wing because, well, that's what's trendy these days. We also know they would love another guard and need some paint presence. One guy, a lot of Mavericks fans, wouldn't mind them taking is Anthony Black, who fits the mold of what the Mavericks may be looking for.

He is one of the many guys in this upcoming draft that is getting mocked everywhere. No one knows where he will land because he can fit any team's scheme and needs. But if the Mavericks had the chance, here is what they would be getting.

Anthony Black's strengths

Here are three of Anthony Black's skills observed from a breakdown of his film.

1. Defensive ability

Pick something besides shooting you want your point guard to be good at, and he likely is. The biggest strength that stands out to me, though, has to be his defense. With his 6'7", 200-pound frame, he is elite at guarding opposing guards and an elite wing defender. Ideally, he will eventually be able to defend 1-3 in the NBA.

Black has active hands on the perimeter and is usually pretty good at swiping through dribbles and ripping through to create steals, averaging 1.9 steals per game. He also uses his length to smother guards when they attack the rim, leaving them no look at a shot attempt.

2. Playmaking ability

The 19-year-old guard is also a terrific playmaker. He is great in transition, making the right read, whether dumping it off to his teammate or taking it himself. In pick-and-roll situations, Black is extremely unselfish, but not to the point where he won't attack for himself.

Black is also good at creating for his teammates in the half-court without needing a pick-and-roll. He hits cutters and passes teammates open sometimes. He has all the traits of a good passer you like to see in a prospect.

3. Rebounding from the perimeter

Being a 6'7" guard often helps you when going up for rebounds over smaller guards, and Black was excellent in that aspect. He is relentless on the glass, hauling in 5.2 rebounds per game at Arkansas. He doesn't give up, even when already under the rim amongst much taller opponents.

There were plenty of times last season at Arkansas where Black had more effort than the opponent standing under the rim and would grab his offensive rebounds. He has fight, and that's unteachable. He is energetic regarding rebounding, which scouts and coaches will love when it comes to the league.

Anthony Black's weakness

Anthony Black is a dynamic point guard prospect but does have a few weaknesses. Here's a breakdown of his biggest weakness.

1. Shooting

There aren't many things that Anthony Black can't do and couldn't do during his time in Arkansas. As a freshman, he only had one flaw in his game - shooting. However, the stroke is there, and working with an NBA shooting coach will likely help him improve into a capable shooter. Besides, he is a tall guard who defends high, creates plays for his teammates, finishes at the rim, is athletic, and can rebound at a decent rate.

But, if we are diving deeper into the shooting aspect, he isn't a jump shooter from anywhere on the court. There was a stretch during his season in college where defenders would play several feet off of him at the top of the key because he wasn't a threat. Not only was he not a threat wide open from beyond the arc, but he wasn't a threat from mid-range either.

That rough stretch he went through hindered his ability to get to the basket too. Because he wasn't being played so closely, defenders could play the paint and the rim better on drives. Black shot 30% from three on 2.6 attempts per game. His percentage improved towards the end of the year, and he even started hitting some mid-range shots.

As we stated earlier, he can improve there. I don't know if he will ever be an elite three-point shooter or even a guy that creates shots for himself from deep, but his catch-and-shoot ability can improve at the next level. While it is a weakness, the room for improvement is still intriguing.

Anthony Black's fit on the Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks may need a backup plan if the situation with Kyrie Irving is not working out. They will need another guard that can do a bit of everything, specifically, playmaking and defense, both at a high level. That's where Black comes in, with the potential to get even better in every area of his game.

They don't need a guy that can dominate on the ball. Black isn't like that, as he played off the ball quite a bit at Arkansas with Nick Smith Jr., Devo Davis, and Ricky Council, but a guy who can coincide with Luka Doncic and even take some of the playmaking workloads off his shoulders at times.

The Mavericks have big three-and-D guys on their roster, but it frequently feels like none can handle the ball well. Black can do that, and some. The Duncanville, Texas, native would be a great fit for the Mavericks, who have already done a pre-draft workout with him, and Dallas "really liked" him. And, while this may or may not mean anything, he has the same agent as Doncic in Billy Duffy.

Anthony Black can be a really good player in this league. To me, he has shades of Lonzo Ball and Josh Giddey. This pick is a win if he can be anything like those guys.