3 Up, 3 Down from Orlando Magic’s 2022 preseason

3 up, 3 down from Orlando Magic’s preseason

1 Down: Jalen Suggs’ injury

It would not be an Orlando Magic anything without some mention of injuries.

The team entered training camp with a ton of injuries already. Markelle Fultz broke his toe before training camp began. Gary Harris was still recovering from a torn meniscus. And Jonathan Isaac was still working his way back onto the court after offseason hamstring surgery — and two years recovering from a torn ACL.

Jalen Suggs was also nursing an injury in the offseason after ankle surgery kept him from playing in Summer League. But he was good to go for the start of camp and the start of the preseason.

This was a chance for a bit of redemption for Suggs after a rough rookie season. He was great defensively but had one of the worst offensive seasons in the league. Suggs needed a good recovery season so he could bounce back offensively.

Suggs’ early preseason run was going OK. His shot looked a bit more on target and he was getting his reps as the lead ball handler.

In three games, Suggs scored 10 points and shot 4 for 10 from the floor and 2 for 5 from beyond the arc in 38.3 total minutes. Those are some slightly encouraging numbers. Suggs missed a couple of those threes really badly, but he was largely on target and on balance, something he said he worked on throughout the offseason.

His biggest downside on the court was his five assists against nine turnovers. He was still a bit loose with the ball. And the plans to use him as a primary ball-handler as they experimented more with Cole Anthony working off the ball did not quite work. But the preseason is the time for this kind of experimenting.

It was also early preseason. the Magic were still getting their legs under them especially after missing a few practices for the hurricane. The Magic got a lot better as the preseason went on, especially once the team got home to the Amway Center.

Suggs though did not get that part of the preseason experience. He planted awkwardly and sprained his knee in the Magic’s third preseason game.

So Suggs is back on the shelf.

It is not clear when he will return — although the most optimistic bet is at least four weeks. He is starting to shoot again, which is a positive sign for a quick return. But there are still a lot of steps to go.

Injuries were the story of Suggs’ rookie season as much as anything. They threw him off balance and prevented him from making progress throughout the season.

This is another impediment to his progress. And just a disappointment after his rookie season.