The Orlando Magic's playoff series with the Detroit Pistons was a perfect encapsulation of all that is good about Jalen Suggs and how he can change games and be the difference for a potential contender and the player who is holding the team back.
Suggs' Game 1 showing was the difference. He hit three of his 10 3-pointers for 16 points. He was confident and exuberant. His early shooting gave the Magic the lead and confidence. He followed that up with 19 and another 3-for-10 showing in Game 2.
The way that the series ended -- particularly after Franz Wagner's injury -- could not have gone any worse. He shot 1-for-11 in the Game 4 win and finished the final three games scoring 23 total points and shooting 3-for-15 from three.
The Magic needed such a key player to step up in Wagner's absence. Worse than that, he stopped shooting. He lost his aggression. The emotions and frustration seemed to overwhelm him.
That is the Magic's problem: They still do not know how good this team can be. And they are overcommitted.
The Magic have tough choices about key players on the horizon. They are unavoidable.
Yes, the Magic need a better version of Paolo Banchero and a healthy Franz Wagner to be successful. But the player who is the real key to figuring out the Magic's future is Suggs.
Suggs is an indispensable player who has a clear positive statistical impact and is the heart and soul of the team's effort and intensity.
He is also a player who has come up short in big moments and is sitting in a critical position for the Magic. He is a player who has struggled to stay on the court and live up to his contract.
So many of the Magic's biggest questions start with Suggs.
Among the many things the Magic will discover this seaosn and perhaps make clear decisions on is Suggs' future. It is a big year for him.
Stepping up to the plate
Jalen Suggs has not been a disappointment in his career.
He never developed into the starring guard the Orlando Magic hoped for with the fifth pick in the 2021 Draft. But he has remained a solid player who makes a clear defense.
Suggs earned an All-Defensive Team nod in 2024 and remains one of the best defenders in the league. His anticipation and ability to create chaos are part of what makes the Magic unique.
The numbers track with Suggs' impact. The Magic had a team-best +5.2 net rating with Suggs on the floor -- and -2.8 with Suggs off the floor. Almost all of this impact came on defense.
Suggs has improved as a 3-point shooter -- his 33.9 percent last year is not turning heads, but he shot a respectable 39.3 percent from three on 3.8 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game. He ranked 47th among players who took at least three catch-and-shoot threes per game.
The trick with Suggs has always been about containing his eccentricities and channeling all the positive things he does. He improved as a passer last year with a career-best 5.5 assists per game. But he can still get overzealous.
And he has struggled in two Playoff series, shooting 29.2 percent from three on 6.9 attempts per game in the 2024 series with the Cleveland Cavaliers and 24.1 percent on 7.7 attempts per game last year against the Detroit Pistons.
It is clear that a big part of the Magic's success is Suggs making threes. That is how defenses play him. And he has struggled to step up to the plate.
As important as Suggs is for this team, the Magic are going to be measured on their Playoff performance. And Suggs is still trying to make his mark. He has been a big part of why the Magic stayed in those series and a big reason why they ultimately lost.
And that does not touch on his injury issue.
Suggs played in 57 games last year while dealing with a hip contusion and an MCL sprain. Those were the second-most games he has played in his career.
It puts the focus squarely on Suggs to deliver more for the Magic to elevate themselves.
The gathering storm around Suggs
That is the storm Jalen Suggs is walking into as the season begins.
He must answer loads of questions on the court.
He can clearly elevate the Magic to a higher level. His defense is energy-boosting. His shooting is game-changing. The Magic need all the pieces to come together.
But even that does not quiet the problem.
The reason why Suggs is in the hot seat is because of his salary.
For a Magic team without much flexibility, Suggs' salary is feeling a bit heavier than anticipated. That is why, in Locked On NBA's amnesty exercise, Suggs is the one to get the axe (and I would have to agree).
The Magic need more from Suggs to secure his future as they map how they climb to contention.
"With his injury history, I don't think you could trade him," Wes Goldberg said on Locked on NBA. "I love Jalen Suggs, by the way. I think for that money, that particular roster, where they are against the salary cap, could they amnesty Jalen Suggs and then all of a sudden they have way more flexibility to make moves around that roster, elevate Anthony Black and kind of do all of that."
Suggs is set to make $32.4 million this upcoming season. The only benefit of his deal is the Magic front-loaded it and this is his last year making more than $30 million. But he has three years and $83.1 million remaining (with a team option on that third and final year).
Orlando has protected itself. But sticking with Suggs is locking them into a roster that has now struggled to get out of the first round and is bumping into the second apron. And Suggs is at the center of the debate on how to improve this team.
Anthony Black is owed an extension, and the Magic may very well have to decide which of these two guards they need to keep. That is not to pit them against each other. It is just a financial reality.
It is not merely Suggs' play that will determine how far the Magic go this year. It is what the Magic ultimately do with Suggs beyond this season that will determine who this team becomes.
Add us as a preferred source on Google