With the beginning of the NBA’s slate of preseason games, we finally have some Orlando Magic basketball to watch and read too much into. Monday night’s opener to the Boston Celtics, an entertaining one-point loss, was a great place to start. It threw up lots of exciting questions, as well as giving us a glimpse into what could be in their future.
None more so than rookie Jalen Suggs. All eyes were on him heading into the contest, and while Cole Anthony and Mohamed Bamba certainly had their moments to show what they’ve been working on over the offseason themselves, Suggs had the 3-pointer from the logo that is already on repeat on social media platforms.
Now that we’ve gotten our first look at Suggs in semi-competitive action, what goals should he have for the season?
The Orlando Magic look to have a good one in rookie Jalen Suggs, and as a result, there are three main goals he should have heading into this year.
Obviously, the Magic won’t want to put too much on his young shoulders to begin with, and really winning many games isn’t even the main goal at this stage either. Another trip to the lottery is not only expected next summer but hopefully the final piece in creating a young core of players who will one day make up the nucleus of a contending roster.
Personal growth and getting used to the rigors of the professional life then will be of more importance to Suggs. To that end, he is already off to a great start, with this group appearing to have great chemistry off the court already, despite what may have been written about some members of the team.
The following are three important goals for Suggs this coming season. To achieve the first one we’re about to talk about is necessary while managing to do the other two would make it the most successful rookie year for a Magic player in a long time.
Orlando Magic goals for Jalen Suggs: 3. Stay healthy
It seems obvious, doesn’t it? While it is clear that having Suggs on the court is the most important thing, this is not as straightforward as it sounds for the Magic given their recent injury history with young players. Jonathan Isaac is the most infamous example, having sprained his ankle badly in his rookie year, then sprained his knee, before the dreaded ACL tear in the NBA’s bubble.
He is not alone though, as Bamba has had a leg fracture in the past, while Chuma Okeke missed all of his own rookie season with a torn ACL (which admittedly was suffered in college, before the organization drafted him). Markelle Fultz, having rediscovered his ability to shoot somewhat consistently, would also tear his ACL at the beginning of last season.
Taking Okeke out of the equation, and that is a worrying trend of knee injuries in young players down in Orlando. Like, examine your medical staff kind of bad. Even Anthony had his own rookie struggles, suffering a strange rib injury that curtailed his development last year just as he was beginning to build up a head of steam.
So keeping Suggs healthy is the most important goal this season and beyond. Building around players who often miss time is tricky, and it is hoped Suggs will be that guy that Magic put a competitive team around before long (Isaac was meant to be that guy, and still could be, but it is his own injury history which makes this a risky proposition).
The Magic may not want to wrap him up in cotton wool entirely so that Suggs can play, get reps professionally and make mistakes. But they also need to shut him down at the first sign of something serious, if that were to happen. He plays with such tenacity on both ends of the court that even curbing this enthusiasm may be necessary early on in order to save him for the undoubted bigger games ahead.
Orlando Magic goals for Jalen Suggs: 2. Accept his role
Perhaps a less obvious goal for Suggs, but one that will be very important for his future development. Magic fans have rightly gotten giddy about the prospect of how good he could be for them. After years of misfires in finding a franchise cornerstone through the draft, early returns here are optimistic.
Suggs also won’t be playing for a head coach in Steve Clifford who was tasked with winning games and had an aversion to trusting young guys in key moments. Instead, new head coach Jamahl Mosley seems a lot more comfortable in letting everybody have their chance to show that they can be a long-term answer in Orlando.
Despite all of this working in the favor of Suggs, he is surely going to start on opening night as well, he also needs to accept that this season will not be all about him. The Magic currently have a backcourt that consists of Suggs, Anthony, Fultz, R.J. Hampton and Gary Harris. Fultz will be back from injury sooner rather than later, and Hampton looked to have himself a productive offseason.
The coaching staff then will need to take a look at what combination of players work best together, and how to use combos effectively in order for the team to be a success. All five of these players will not be around when the Magic are making their way back to the postseason. There just isn’t enough money and minutes to go round, without even considering frontcourt depth.
It may also be that Suggs, Anthony and Harris all begin the season as starters before the reintroduction of Fultz changes things around. Anthony also already looks comfortable as the first man off the bench, which will have to be factored in as well. Regardless, this whole year isn’t about Suggs. How he responds will be telling, although you have to think it will be positive.
Orlando Magic goals for Jalen Suggs: 1. Win Rookie of the Year
Why not aim for the stars with this one. As loaded as this draft class looks to be, there’s no reason Suggs can’t be in the mix to win this award. He isn’t starting out as the favorite, but as is so often the case he could have the right combination of timing, opportunity and narrative in order to swoop in and take the award.
In terms of timing, the Magic might actually be not as bad as people think this year. They’re going under the radar as they always do if they don’t have a superstar on their roster, but flirting with the play-in tournament after Christmas is not completely out of the question. Even if it is not to be expected at this point. Things change quickly in the NBA, and Suggs could benefit.
The opportunity is obvious. Despite what we’ve mentioned above, Suggs is still going to get all the time to show what he can do on the court. He looks like a guy who can score in all manner of ways, and ever since the departure of Nikola Vucevic there has been a hole in the scoring where his roughly 20 points a night would go.
Others are going to chip in as well, but with scoring taking precedence over all other areas to casual fans in terms of how good a player is, Suggs could stand to benefit here as well. Throw in some tasty assists to the big guys, and a defensive highlight that is sure to become a highlight for him, and Suggs is onto a winning formula.
Finally and most importantly, the narrative. It is right there in front of our eyes. Suggs was expected to be selected in the top four, with some thinking he should have gone higher. The Toronto Raptors had the chance to take him fourth and… opted for Scottie Barnes instead. It was just the kind of draft luck the Magic needed, after years of being on the outside looking in at the very top prospects getting drafted.
We already know Suggs has a chip on his shoulder, but if he has an impressive start to life in the league and then a highlight-filled game against the Raptors, it will go a long way to helping him win this award. The fact the Magic even have a player who could win personal hardware this year is huge, and further proof that they are headed in the right direction. Now, it is over to Suggs.