Jalen Suggs has made a name for himself in the NBA with his defense. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and is the heart and soul of the Magic’s defensive identity.
Suggs does much more for the Magic than just playing stifling defense, however.
He provides vital energy on both ends of the floor, scoring and playmaking. Having Suggs on the sidelines instead of on the court has hurt the Magic, especially now that he is ruled out for the rest of the season.
Between Franz Wagner, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Anthony Black, the Magic still have plenty of strong defenders, but the team is lacking Suggs’ energy and offensive production, nevertheless. Offense has not been the Magic’s strong suit this season. Losing their third-leading scorer and playmaker has only exemplified that issue.
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero are always capable of putting up big numbers, no matter the situation. They just put up 28 and 41 points, respectively, in a tough one-point loss to the Toronto Raptors. The main issue is the lack of offensive production and creation around Wagner and Banchero.
The Magic have plenty of talented two-way players, but most of them are not high-level shot-creators. Missing Suggs, who has grown as a scorer and playmaker since arriving in Orlando, puts a lot of pressure on Banchero and Wagner.
It also underlines what type of player the Magic need to add to the roster if they want to truly compete at the highest level.
Magic should have a clear priority this offseason
The Magic are still a young, rather inexperienced team and are not done building the right roster around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They still need more 3-point shooting from their role players but also need another high-level shot-creator and playmaker.
Adding a player who can create offense for the team would not only lighten the load Wagner and Banchero have to carry game after game but would also make it easier for the Magic to survive injuries to some of their key players.
It has been obvious for quite some time now that the Magic need some help offensively. The front office could not find a deal it liked at the trade deadline, but Suggs’ injury and the Magic’s current struggles show that they have to make a move this offseason.
This season may not have gone according to plan, but the Magic are still in a great position to become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference soon. They have talented young players, draft assets, and a solid foundation. Adding a shot creator and playmaker to help take the team to the next level should be no problem.