If Magic guard Jett Howard could go back in time to a year ago when the Michigan product was getting set for his first Summer League in Las Vegas with Orlando, he’d share a simple message with himself: Slow down.
“Take a step back,” he added Monday inside the AdventHealth Training Center. “I’d probably tell myself to just relax because it’s super exciting. This is like a dream. Coming in you’re super antsy.”
No longer a rookie, Howard feels more comfortable on the court alongside fellow 2023 lottery pick Anthony Black as the young duo gets prepared for its second Summer League outing.
“It just happened so fast,” Howard said when reflecting on his first season with the Magic.
Added Black of removing the rookie label: “I’d say it feels good — not weird. Definitely a good feeling.”
A year older, the pair is ready to return to Las Vegas and help Magic rookie Tristan da Silva find his footing the same way they eventually found theirs last summer.
“Having gone through it once makes it a little bit easier to come in here and get ready for it again,” Black said. “I feel like we’re getting a lot better — all three of our new, younger guys, we’re all getting better.”
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Black’s role on offense at Summer League will be somewhat different than what he was asked to do as a rookie this past season. For Jamahl Mosley, Black mostly waited in the wings for his 3-point shot or cut to the basket to attack.
For Magic Summer League coach Lionel Chalmers, Black will help organize Orlando’s offense as the group’s primary point guard. He expects his leadership on the court to be more on display.
“You should see me with the ball a little bit, just telling my teammates where to go, talking to my teammates on both ends,” Black said. “I’m happy to show that.”
Both Howard and Black are three years younger than da Silva, 23, who spent four years in college at Colorado. Still, it’s da Silva who’s the rookie.
“He is still older than me, so it’s weird, I’m trying to help him out,” Howard said. “It’s a weird feeling.”
Despite the age gap, da Silva will take all of the help Black and Howard offer him.
“Even though I’m the new kid on the block they’re a little younger than me,” da Silva said. “They’ve got that talent, though. They’ve been around for a year so I’ve been picking their brains and trying to get as much intel as I can get.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
