Jalen Suggs had a tough rookie season for the Orlando Magic last year. The fifth pick looking on as Scottie Barnes, taken one spot ahead, went on to win Rookie of the Year.
That was a disappointment in itself because Suggs was supposed to be part of a consensus top-four in that draft. Then injuries ate up his rookie season — first a hand injury and then ankle issues — that left him inconsistent and frustrated.
No matter how much Magic staff beamed about his defensive numbers, the shooting numbers and the lack of offensive push that he seemed to promise from college never materialized and became a hindrance.
Expectations were modest for this season. And in a lot of ways, Suggs failed to step up to the challenge. The 2-guard was unable to match the same output in points, assists or rebounds as the previous season.
His minutes took a tumble as well, giving us a window into the struggles that he tried his best to play his way out of throughout the year.
Still, it was a successful season for Suggs. He may not reach the lofty expectations that draft pundits placed on him. But he still found a way to contribute and carve out his place with the team, improving in the process.
Suggs found stability this season.
Jalen Suggs’ statistics only tell half of the story. Really the 2023 season was about Suggs successfully stabilizing his still-young career with the Orlando Magic.
Beginning with those aforementioned pedestrian numbers, 9.9 points per game, 2.9 assists per game and 3.0 rebounds per game were not what the organization would have hoped for in his second year. Especially when you consider that, despite some more time missed through injury, Suggs appeared in more games (53) than he had in his rookie season (48).
This is where the path begins to diverge from that disappointing first campaign, as Suggs would only start 19 games in year two, compared to the 45 of year one.
As the season unfolded and the Magic rebounded from that horrible 5-20 start, Suggs found the best form of his time in the league by predominantly coming off the bench.
It did not hurt that defensively he made strides as an on-ball defender, even if his rating on that end tumbled from 107.8 in his rookie year to 111.
But according to data from Basketball-Index, Suggs ranked in the 90th percentile in adjusted turnover rate and in the 97th percentile in steals per 75 possessions and 93rd percentile in deflections per 75 possessions. Suggs, by almost any metric, was a disruptive and pesky defender.
That was perfectly deployed coming off the bench with the team’s second unit.
To watch him on the court was to see a player who not only looked like the Magic’s best defensive guard on many nights but who was suddenly playing with intensity and purpose.
You guys may not see it now but Jalen Suggs will be a key piece to the Orlando Magic winning a playoff series pic.twitter.com/7qIymFLcvh
— Stanley Swanson (@StanleySwanson0) April 24, 2023
There is no doubt he can be just that for the group. But it was also a welcome sight to see his 3-point shooting reach 32.7 percent on the year. So much better than the 21.4 percent of the previous season.
He finished his season hitting 36.0 percent of his 3-pointers in 19 games after the All-Star Break. A good burst of optimism that as he played more and got his base, his 3-point shooting can make a turnaround.
Suggs also took slightly fewer attempts from deep, so to see his percentage rise as much as it did was a plus. Fans will know though, that he needs to get much more consistent with his 3-pointers to be a legitimate threat in the future.
Right now the Magic have a guard in Markelle Fultz who is their floor general and who is still finding his shot, and a more aggressive, pressing guard in Cole Anthony.
COLE ANTHONY 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/rKl00TBLWK
— Orlando Magic 🇧🇷 (@br_orlandomagic) April 23, 2023
Anthony fits somewhere between the two, yet it may be that coming off the bench and closing important games is ultimately where Suggs ends up going while with the Magic.
A guard version of the “3-and-D” wings that have been so popular in the league for a number of years now, who is able to keep scorers quiet on one end and stretch the floor on the other is valuable. Suggs may not be the star everyone celebrated on Draft Night in June 2021, but he is still a really valuable and key piece to this team and its growth.
As of now the starting shooting guard position is the only spot up for grabs on this Magic roster. Jalen Suggs failed to claim it in year two, and Gary Harris’ offensive abilities meant he took it moving forward.
Yet, the Magic’s starting lineup performed better with Suggs on the floor compared to Harris — a +1.4 net rating (113.0/111.6 split) in 570 minutes with Harris compared to a +11.3 net rating (113.7/102.4 split) in 58 minutes with Suggs.
There is no telling what players the Magic will draft this summer when they will likely have two lottery picks. Yet Suggs can take solace in the fact they are not likely to take a player like him.
We got a glimpse into what Suggs will bring in the coming seasons in year two, and to see him play with a lot more confidence and embrace trying to lock down opponents showed legitimate improvement.
But while fans are still more than happy to wait to see what he will turn into, there are some who feel like his first couple of seasons have been underwhelming, and that is putting it nicely.
The explosive player from college has largely been kept under wraps, and the fanbase bears the scars of waiting years for Mario Hezonja, Elfrid Payton and Mo Bamba to reach their potential.
We are nowhere near that level with Suggs yet, and his defensive upside alone is a reason to have him as part of the long-term project that the organization are trying to build.
On the other hand, though, the Magic and their fans would have no problem including Suggs in a deal to get a star of any kind back. His talents are not yet that undeniable.
But it would be unfair to say Suggs had a bad season, because he progressed at an acceptable level and proved he can one day be an elite defender and passable 3-point shooter.
His spot in the Magic’s starting lineup is far from guaranteed, but his place in the rotation is safe moving forward.
Most importantly of all though, Suggs did not look lost on the court and found his place in a constantly improving young core which would suggest there is so much more to come from him.