After the Orlando Magic's shootaround on Friday before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers, a reporter asked coach Jamahl Mosley about Jalen Suggs' recent shooting struggles.
Entering Friday's games, Suggs had made only 30.4 percent of his shots and 25.0 percent of his threes to average 9.3 points per game on the four previous games of the homestand. He had 3.0 assists per game against 3.8 turnovers per game.
He was shooting 39.2 percent and 23.4 percent from three with 13.6 points per game, 4.1 assists per game and 3.1 turnovers per game since Paolo Banchero's injury.
It has not looked great.
But Mosley gave the reporter a look. An exasperated look that seemed to say, "Did you really just ask that?" Playfully, of course.
No one can hide from some of Suggs' struggles but Mosley has complete faith in his lead guard. And he was not going to waver from him in the face of those questions. Just like so many players on his team, Mosley believes the team is doing the right things and those open shots will fall.
"We always stay with that process. He's taking good shots at the right time," Mosley said after shootaround Friday. "I will never tell a guy to turn those shots down because it's so important that we have a level of comfort in how we are approaching the game and our process and the fact that how much work he has put in. That's part of this to keep the same level of confidence."
Suggs did not exactly reward Mosley's faith in Friday's win over the 76ers. He went 6 for 16 from the floor and 1 for 8 from three—adding five turnovers against three assists for a frustrating measure.
But Mosley was right about one thing. When the moment mattered for Suggs, the Magic were right to keep their faith in him. It is perhaps Suggs' best skill.
With the Magic up by seven late in the fourth quarter, Jalen Suggs came over to set a screen for Franz Wagner at the top of the key, ghosting it to the wing. The defenders stuck with Wagner to try to prevent him from anotehr step-back three.
Wagner dished the ball to Suggs on the wing and he took the three without hesitation or thought. That was his lone 3-point make, but it was a big one extending the lead to 10 and icing the game away.
As Franz Wagner said on the mic'd up segment on FanDuel Sports Network Florida, "That's what you do, boy!" as the two went back to the bench after the Sixers called timeout.
The Magic's shooting this season has required a lot of faith. The Magic feel like they have gotten plenty of good looks and shots this year. And right now, they have to keep the faith in Suggs.
Suggs has earned the faith
It has been this way throughout his career though. When the Orlando Magic needed a big shot from Jalen Suggs, he has delivered time and time again. And the Magic had no reason to believe he would not deliver despite his apparent struggles earlier in the game.
"I really think, and I say this jokingly, the bigger the moment, the bigger the shot," Mosley said after Friday's win. "I said it to him after the game, 'You have not been shooting it and you didn't shoot it great, but you hit the one that counted and made the free throws when they counted.' I think that's so important for him because he understands the amount of work that he puts in. And he is going to continue to put that work in. It's not thinking about the ones you miss, it's thinking about the next one that you get. He stepped into that last one with the utmost confidence as if he hasn't missed a shot before."
That has been a part of Suggs' play throughout his career. He has struggled with his shot at various points in the season. But he plays like every possession matters.
No one would ever question his defensive chops and ability. Jalen Suggs is getting the assignment on every team's best perimeter player, tag-teaming with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to form one of the most potent defensive duos in the league on one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Statistically, the Magic have a 102.7 defensive rating with Suggs on the court, second among Magic starters and 0.8 points per 100 possessions better than the team's stellar overall average.
Offensively, Suggs still has work to do. And Suggs has struggled especially since Banchero's injury. No player has probably been affected more than Suggs since his injury.
Suggs' shooting has suffered
And that is seen most especially with his shooting.
It is not just the numbers mentioned previously. Jalen Suggs is staking fewer threes since Paolo Banchero's injury, going from 42.5 percent shooting on 8.0 3-point attempts per game before the injury to 21.8 percent on 6.1 attempts per game after.
Suggs shot 53.1 percent on 6.4 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game before Banchero's injury according to data from Second Spectrum. He is shooting 27.8 percent on 4.0 catch-and-shoot opportunities since Banchero's injury.
Even in terms of the quality of his looks, Suggs has gone from 55.6 percent shooting on 5.4 3-point attempts when the closest defender was 6+ feet away before Banchero's injury to 20.5 percent on 4.3 attempts per game after the injury, according to NBA.com.
Suggs has had more time on the ball and had to be a driver more. He has undoubtedly struggled in this role too with his increase in turnovers.
He has a lot of areas to improve.
But the important thing is Suggs keeps shooting and keeps the faith. That is the quality that matters most in Suggs. He never wavers. He knows his moment will come.
And he is not going to stop shooting.
"I get to watch Jett every day. And Jett don't ever stop shooting," Suggs said after Friday's game. "And he reiterates that to me, never stop shooting. I carry that mindset into my games. When the guys continue to feed you confidence, the coaching staff and players alike, it feels good. It gives you that mental strength that I'm going to hit the next one to continue shooting."
Suggs said he is staying the court. He is not letting prior mistakes or the prior flow affect his game. Suggs has worked hard to stay in the current moment. That has been part of his evolution and settling down from last year.
Suggs still has some evolution to go this year. But the Orlando Magic have never lost faith in him. He has never lost faith in himself.
And when the moment called for it, Suggs delivered in a big way. He always does.