Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs has been highly productive for his team in a critical area on the offensive end, and they will continue to need that from him down the stretch of the season.
ORLANDO — Just before the All-Star break, Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs had been facilitating at a high level.
Through Orlando’s four-game home stand ahead of the break, Suggs logged 10-plus assists in three of those four games; helping the Magic to a 3-1 record in that stretch. For Suggs, the increase in productivity has come from an abundance of preparation and practice.
“I think there's a lot of it that's come from, you know, a lot of film, you know, a lot of reps, a lot of conversations,” Suggs said after the Magic’s 116-108 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 11.
Suggs credited Desmond Bane and newly acquired guard Jevon Carter as well as other teammates for helpful conversations that have elevated him.
“You know, me and Dez have great talks,” Suggs said. “Jevon Carter coming in has been great early on, and we've had a lot of good discourse. You know, me, A.B., Franz, all of us. We all have very good conversations, and I think those guys got me over time as I've gotten back and just refined my way in the game.
You know, it's the easy part, and the easy way for me to find rhythm— don't got to be too many shots and the nights I get them, knock them down, and the nights I don't, it's cool, because I'm creating opportunities, I'm creating buckets and I can find some peace in that.”
Through 33 games and 26.7 minutes per contest, Suggs is averaging 14.1 points and a career-high 5.5 assists. In those contests, he is averaging 11.2 shot attempts.
“So, I'm really just trying to get guys to ball in positions to score, so they can, you know, maximize their talents,” Suggs added. “Whether it's A.B., Dez, P., Franz, Del, Trish, Mo; like our lineup is so crazy. I don't got to go get it, which is a blessing, so keep finding guys and I think good things will come with that.”
A philosophy of distribution is something that Suggs will need to continue adhering to so that his team can find success.
“Yeah, that's what we're going to need him to continue to do,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Be that facilitator, that playmaker, getting guys involved, you know, defensively what we've asked him to do, turning up the heat; disrupting guards.
But, again, his ability to get teammates open, his speed, his vision, those are going to be very important for us as we continue to down the stretch.”
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.