Anthony Black practices on his sprained ankle, but Magic leave his opener status open

Anthony Black practiced with the Orlando Magic on Sunday, October 18, another step back from the right ankle sprain that wiped out his entire preseason, but whether he plays in Wednesday’s opener against the Atlanta Hawks remains an open question.

Coach Sean Sweeney sounded encouraged without promising anything. Black “is moving well and will keep ramping up,” Sweeney said, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. It is the same careful tone the coach has used all month: earlier in the week he said Black was progressing well and that Orlando would “be smart” about bringing him back.

A sprain that lingered

The injury goes back to a voluntary workout before training camp opened. At the start of October the Magic called Black day-to-day and stressed that the sprain was not serious, yet the guard did not appear in any of Orlando’s four exhibition games. He was on the floor for practice on Thursday and did on-court work before Friday’s finale against Miami, and Sunday’s session continued that trend.

The timing adds another layer. Black is eligible for a rookie scale extension until Monday’s deadline, and Marc Stein reported earlier this month that a deal before then looked unlikely.

Why Orlando needs him

The Magic’s depth has taken hits in the final week. Franz Wagner (right shoulder soreness) and Jase Richardson (back) both left Friday’s win over the Heat, and Noah Penda has since been found to have a partial hamstring tear that could keep him out for a long stretch. Black, who started 40 of the 64 games he played last season largely because Wagner and Jalen Suggs were hurt, was expected to run the second unit behind a starting backcourt of Suggs and Desmond Bane. If he cannot go, more ball-handling minutes fall to Suggs, who logged 21 in the finale, and to the end of the bench.

What comes next

Orlando opens at home against Atlanta on Wednesday, October 21. Watch the official injury report the day before for Black’s first regular-season designation. Follow the game in the Game Center and check the latest on every team at the injuries page.