Jalen Suggs

Southeast Notes: Magic, Johnson, Hawks Injuries, Snyder, Adebayo

March 8th, 2025 at 9:40am CST by Tristan Tucker

Almost nothing is going according to plan for the Magic this season, The Athletic’s Josh Robbins writes. Orlando’s loss to the Bulls on Thursday was the fifth loss in a row for the team, which has been left searching for answers.

As recently as last season, it seemed like the Magic was following a trajectory similar to that of the Thunder or Rockets. All three teams added to their cores with the top-three picks in the 2022 draft, and the tandem of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner led the Magic to the fifth seed in the East last season, where they were able to push the Cavaliers to seven games.

But now, the Thunder are the top team in the West with Houston firmly in the playoff picture. As Robbins writes, a season with promise is in danger of falling apart as the Magic sit in ninth place this season and will have to win at least one play-in game (and possibly two) to earn a first-round date with the Cavs or Celtics.

“It’s a different year,” Banchero said. “It’s almost the end of this season, so we’re a different team. Teams, I think, are seeing what our weaknesses are and they’re attacking it, and we’ve had trouble adjusting.”

Injuries and three-point shooting are the biggest reasons for the tougher year, Robbins writes. Defensive ace Jalen Suggs is out for the season while Banchero and Wagner both had long-term absences in the first half. That trio has only shared the court for 97 total minutes. With Suggs out for the foreseeable future, the Magic will need to figure out how to get into a groove without him. They’re 9-20 this season when the former Gonzaga standout isn’t available.

Additionally, the Magic have missed the production they received from Moritz Wagner off the bench. He’s not only their statistically best three-point shooter, but he also gives them optionality at center, which the team is sorely missing. The Magic rank last in the league in three-point percentage.

“The message at the end was we’ve got to fight our way out of this funk,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s exactly what it is. It’s a funk, and we’ve got to fight our way out of it.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Rising Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, who is out for the season due to a torn labrum, is confident he’ll be ready for the start of the ’25/26 season, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Lauren L. Williams. “When you’re in the league, you’re constantly learning about your body, how things may need to tweak here and there,” Johnson said. “So, I’m still learning things, learning new things. I got a great staff around me who provides great insight on things like that. So I just been trying to take knowledge from a lot of people, other athletes and stuff like that as far as you know, maybe what they do, I mean their preparation. But I’m confident in what I do, and I know I’ll get back to 100%.”
Hawks guard Vit Krejci, out since Feb. 10 due to a lumbar fracture, was upgraded to questionable for the team’s Saturday game against the Pacers, Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks tweets. Krejci is averaging 6.9 points per game while shooting 38.4% from three in 39 games (15 starts) this season. Meanwhile, impressive trade deadline acquisitions Caris LeVert (knee inflammation) and Terance Mann (quad contusion) are in danger of missing a game for the first time since arriving in Atlanta. Both players are questionable for Saturday’s contest.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder returned to the bench on Thursday against the Pacers after missing one game due to illness, ESPN reports. Snyder missed that game due to the flu and assistant Igor Kokoskov took his place. “His level of experience makes you very comfortable in those situations,” Snyder said of Kokoskov.
Bam Adebayo is working his way up the Heat’s all-time rankings, recently surpassing Rony Seikaly for the most double-doubles in franchise history. Impressively, Adebayo is already fourth in all-time scoring for the Heat and has a shot to move into second place as soon as next season. He’s already No. 2 among the Heat’s all-time leading rebounders and, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, isn’t shy to let current leader Udonis Haslem know he’s coming for his record. “He’s been texting me every spot,” Haslem said. “Every spot he comes up the chain, he texts me.”

Jalen Suggs Undergoes Left Knee Surgery, Out For Season

March 4th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

March 4: Suggs has undergone arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee, according to the Magic, who say the procedure also involved a “mosaicplasty to repair the trochlear joint surface” (Twitter link).

The team has formally ruled out Suggs for the rest of the season.

March 2: All-Defensive Team Magic guard Jalen Suggs will have a cartilage fragment removed from his left knee via arthroscopic surgery, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel reports that Suggs will undergo surgery this week, and the Magic anticipate that he will fully recover.

Earlier this week, Suggs had been sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a trochlea injury in his left knee. The team had reportedly considered a litany of non-surgical interventions, including physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and rest, but ultimately determined that surgery was the best route.

The 23-year-old had already been shelved for Orlando’s last 14 games with what was originally called a left quad contusion. All told, the young guard has been out for 24 of Orlando’s last 25 contests, having also dealt with a low back strain in January.

Suggs had been building toward a return to action in recent weeks, but soon felt some lingering discomfort in his left knee. Further imaging revealed the trochlea injury.

The former No. 5 pick out of Gonzaga has averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season for Orlando. Suggs is widely seen as one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders, and he has clearly been missed on both ends of the floor.

Orlando has gone 20-15 across Suggs’ 35 healthy bouts this year, and an underwhelming 9-17 when he has sat. The Magic had been a top-four seed for much of the season prior to his injuries but is now 29-32 and the East’s No. 8 seed.

As Charania notes (via Twitter), Suggs has played sparingly this season with Orlando’s other top rising talents, All-Star forward Paolo Banchero and fellow starting forward Franz Wagner. Collectively, that triumvirate has only shared the hardwood for 97 total minutes in 2024/25.

In October, Orlando inked Suggs to a five-season, $150.5MM rookie scale extension. That fully-guaranteed deal will kick in when the 2025/26 league year begins. He is clearly considered a major part of the club’s long-term future, but it’s unclear when he’ll be able to contribute again.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Williams, Flynn, Sarr, Brogdon

March 2nd, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

After suffering a major setback this week in his attempt to return from injury, Magic guard Jalen Suggs is determined to get back on the court in time to help his team in the playoffs, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs believed he was close to returning from a left quad issue that has sidelined him for more than a month. He went through “a great workout” before Tuesday’s game, but wound up with swelling in his left knee. On Friday, he was diagnosed with a trochlea cartilage injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

“And that’s the hardest part,” Suggs said. “Because I felt like I had gotten over that hump, I had hit almost the last checkpoint to playing and then this arises. Can’t do anything about it. Literally it’s just resetting the clock and getting back to work.”

There’s no guarantee that Suggs will be able to play again this season, as team doctors consider the best treatment options. According to Beede, the possibilities include rest, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medicine and arthroscopic surgery. The team stated that Suggs is expected to make a full recovery, but it’s too early to set a timeline.

“My goal is to come back and play and help impact as we get to the postseason and get to the playoffs,” he said. “That’s my goal. That’s what I’m shooting for. I think if you don’t have a personal goal, it gets kind of hard to get through day-to-day work because you’re not seeing a bigger picture. And that’s mine. Everything’s aligned with that so far. Obviously, things may change as the process goes on but as of right now, that’s my goal. That’s where the timeline is at. And I feel real confident in both my strength, the strength, conditioning and training staff, and my guys having my back to make that happen.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets center Mark Williams isn’t showing any signs of the injury concerns that caused the Lakers to rescind their trade for him last month, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Williams collected his third straight double-double Saturday night with 24 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Washington. “I think just regaining familiarity with the guys,” Williams said. “Obviously, the lack of continuity is always a little tough. But I think just being out there getting into a rhythm, it always makes it a little easier every time you’re out there.”
Malachi Flynn‘s 10-day contract with the Hornets became official on Saturday, and coach Charles Lee is hoping he can help spark the offense, Boone adds. Flynn played eight minutes in his debut with two points and two assists. “We’re looking forward to getting a guy who can score a little bit,” Lee said. “We’ve had some stretches where I think we were creating some really good shots, some really good advantages, and he’s a guy I think has proven that he can really fill it up and score in a lot of different ways with the ball and without the ball.”
Wizards center Alex Sarr is looking to finish his rookie season after returning Saturday from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him for 11 games, relays Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. In a season without a clear favorite for Rookie of the Year, Sarr may have a chance to make a late run at the award. “I liked (Sarr’s) activity. He’s a presence out there for us, and we obviously can see the stuff he does defensively, but just his ability to stretch the floor, drag their bigs out, it makes them do different coverages,” coach Brian Keefe said. “It was good to have him back.”
Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon hasn’t played since February 12 due to a sprained left ankle, but Keefe expects him to return before the end of the season, Shakar tweets.

Magic’s Jalen Suggs Out Indefinitely Due To Knee Injury

February 28th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who has missed the past 14 games due to what the team referred to as a left quad contusion, has been ruled out indefinitely after undergoing additional testing and being diagnosed with a trochlea injury in his left knee, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). The team has confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link).

Suggs was experiencing discomfort during his return-to-play activities, according to Beede, which prompted the Magic to reevaluate the fourth-year guard and conduct an MRI. Those additional tests revealed the trochlea injury.

As Beede explains, the trochlea is “a groove in the lower end of the femur that guides the kneecap during knee movements.” When it’s damaged, it can cause pain, instability, and additional knee issues.

According to the team, a treatment plan is still being developed for Suggs, but the expectation is that he’ll make a full recovery.

Suggs has now missed 24 of the Magic’s past 25 games after also sitting out for 10 consecutive contests in January due to a low back strain. He has been limited to just 35 total outings this season and had averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 28.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .410/.314/.882.

Although Suggs’ shooting numbers are underwhelming, the Magic have clearly missed having him in the backcourt. Besides being one of the team’s offensive engines, the 23-year-old is a major part of Orlando’s defense. He earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team last season, but won’t get a chance to repeat that feat this season, since he’ll fall short of the required 65-game minimum.

The Magic are 20-15 in games Suggs has played this season and just 9-17 without him. The club, which held a top-four spot in the East for most of the season through mid-January, has fallen to 29-32 as a result of its recent swoon and currently ranks seventh in the conference, which is in play-in territory.

Orlando is typically pretty vague about injury recovery timelines, so it may be a little while before we get a clear sense of when Suggs could return. He signed a five-year, $150MM rookie scale extension with the team last fall that will go into effect in 2025/26, so it’s safe to assume the Magic will take a cautious approach to his recovery process.

Southeast Notes: Anderson, Suggs, Anthony, Smith, Hornets

February 26th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Although Kyle Anderson has been on five different teams over the course of his 11 NBA seasons, the deal that sent him from the Warriors to the Heat earlier this month was the first time he’d been traded, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Anderson says it’s been an adjustment period as his wife and five-year-old son stayed in California to finish the school year.

“It was a big one,” Anderson said of the whirlwind since the trade to the Heat. “I underestimated it, getting traded. I salute anybody that’s been traded multiple times in this league. There was just a lot going on with my experience in Golden State, then getting traded to a new team, not being with my family, being alone. It’s only been a few days and obviously Miami is a great city, but it still has some type of effect on you.”

Anderson wasn’t actually sure which team he’d end up on after it was reported that he might be rerouted to Toronto as part of the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade. Instead, he wound up in Miami. The veteran forward said it was important to him to land with a team where he was “appreciated and wanted,” and he got a call from president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra letting him know the Heat valued him.

“That meant a lot,” Anderson said. “Just letting me know they were happy to have me. That’s all I needed to hear. I didn’t want to go somewhere where I wasn’t really wanted.”

With Nikola Jovic out at least four weeks with a fractured hand, Anderson should continue to see an uptick in minutes. Spoelstra recently praised the 31-year-old’s two-way versatility and basketball IQ, according to Chiang.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shared injury updates today on guards Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). According to Mosley, neither player was able to practice on Wednesday. Suggs will miss his 14th straight on Thursday due to a left quad contusion, while Anthony is questionable vs. Golden State and considered day-to-day. Anthony sustained a hyperextended left knee in Tuesday’s lopsided loss to Cleveland, Beede notes.
After being buried on the depth chart early on in 2024/25, second-year Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. was thrust into a significant rotation role as a result of injuries. As Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes, Smith has shown flashes of offensive upside as a starter over the past several weeks, but head coach Charles Lee says he needs to make progress on the other end to level up his game. “Defensively, that’s going to be his next kind of mission to improve upon,” Lee said. “We’ve had some good conversations and he’s been challenged in that area. And knowing Nick and knowing the competitor he is, he’s going to respond with a little more resistance, a little more physicality. The grit, the toughness, the energy that he has on the offensive end, I just want to see that same kind of mindset — how the young kids say, ‘Keep that same energy’ — I want that same energy down at the defensive end, too.”
Will the high-post screening and passing of Jusuf Nurkic be beneficial for Hornets star LaMelo Ball? The veteran big man believes so, according to Boone, who says the pairing should prove fruitful on offense — assuming Ball is able to return soon from an ankle injury. The former No. 3 overall pick is not listed on the injury report for Thursday’s game in Dallas (Twitter link), so he’s considered likely to suit up after appearing in just five of the past 14 contests.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Middleton, Smart, Williams, Young

February 19th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The left quad contusion that sidelined Magic guard Jalen Suggs before the All-Star break hasn’t healed enough for him to resume playing, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs has been declared out for Thursday’s contest at Atlanta, making it the 10th straight game he’ll miss and the 20th of the last 21. He was limited to the non-contact portions of practice the last two days, Beede adds.

“Everybody responds to treatment, everybody responds to different injuries differently [and] everybody’s different,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “And so, you want to treat it as such, and not rush a process of getting him fully whole just to squeak back in to not be 100% on the court because he’s trying to push through certain things. It’s so important that we get him back fully healthy where there is no nagging pain as we go through it.”

The Magic are counting on Suggs’ return to help end a long spiral that has seen them fall to seventh place in the East at 27-29. They’re 6-14 in their last 20 games and haven’t won two in a row since late December. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both returned from extended injury absences over the past six weeks, but Orlando is clearly missing the all-around production of Suggs, who’s averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 35 games.

“Defensive-wise, that’s where we’ve been missing him the most,” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “The way he guards and the energy that he brings, everybody feeds off that, even myself.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart, Washington’s veteran additions at the trade deadline, were both full participants in today’s practice, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). They may be able to make their Wizards‘ debuts at home Friday against Milwaukee. “I’m here to be a basketball player,” Middleton said. “I’m here to win games, here to help win games however I can. I am going to be here as a mentor and whatnot, but I want Wizards fans to know that I’m not here just to be a mentor. I’m here to be a basketball player and compete out there and help win games.” Malcolm Brogdon, who sprained his left ankle last Wednesday, isn’t expected to play, Robbins tweets.
Coach Charles Lee said Mark Williams is back to being the Hornets‘ starting center after his trade to the Lakers was rescinded (Twitter video link from Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer). Jusuf Nurkic, who was acquired from Phoenix at the deadline, will be the primary backup, pushing Moussa Diabate back to third string. Diabate started the last three games and recently signed a three-year contract after beginning the season on a two-way deal.
Hawks guard Trae Young made his fourth All-Star appearance this year, so he has learned how to handle the demands of the weekend without getting overwhelmed, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I mean, it wasn’t my first time going,” Young said. “So I kind of knew how to take advantage of the weekend, a little bit more rest, during breaks and appearances and things like that. So, I was able to get some catnaps in there, and then after that, after Sunday, after the game, I was able to get out of there and get some rest and spend some family time those last two days. And I’m ready to go.”

Eastern Notes: Williams, Russell, Suggs, Banchero, Knicks

February 18th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In an ironic twist, Hornets center Mark Williams is listed as probable to play against the Lakers on Wednesday, Charlotte’s PR department tweets.

Williams would be playing in his first game since the Hornets-Lakers trade was rescinded after he failed to pass Los Angeles’ physical due to “multiple issues.” The probable status is due to “return to play reconditioning.”

The Lakers front office thought it had solved their starting center issue by acquiring Williams. They had agreed to give up rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap. Knecht and Reddish returned to the Lakers along with the draft capital when the team decided to void the deal.

Williams, who has battled injuries throughout his young career, is averaging 16.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in 22 contests this season.

We have more Eastern Conference news:

While the Nets gave all the appearances of tanking earlier this season, their young core isn’t cooperating. They are within range of a play-in spot, trailing the 10th-place Bulls by just 1.5 games. They’ve gotten a boost from D’Angelo Russell in his second stint with the organization. Russell led them to an unlikely postseason berth five years ago and it could happen again, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Russell is averaging 14.5 points and 5.8 assists in 16 games since he was acquired from the Lakers. “Last time it just … kind of happened,” Russell said. “So I think if it’s gonna happen, it will. We definitely have the chance. We definitely have a nice group, definitely have all the coaches and everything to give it that. So we’ll keep preparing like that’s in the plans. But as far as getting ahead of myself and trying to do things out of the ordinary, that’s not really … it’s kind of out of my control, I would say. So [we’ve] just got to go one game at a time, one win at a time.”
Even with added rest and recovery time, Jalen Suggs is still not 100 percent. Head coach Jamahl Mosley told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link) on Tuesday that the Magic guard was “able to go through running portions of practice but no contact still.” Suggs missed the last nine games before the All-Star break due to a left quad contusion.
Expect better results from Paolo Banchero after the All-Star break, Beede opines as he examines five storylines to watch for the remainder of the Magic‘s season. After missing 34 games due to a torn right abdominal muscle, Banchero has averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 turnovers per game while shooting 28.9% from 3-point range over the past 18 contests. Banchero said his main issue after recovering from the injury was getting back into top shape to play with the same energy and effort on a nightly basis.
The Knicks got good grades on their midseason report card. The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy gives Josh Hart an A-plus, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns earning As.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Wiggins, Heat Exhibition, Nance

February 11th, 2025 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s been a frustrating stretch for Magic guard Jalen Suggs. He missed 10 games due to a low back strain and has now missed another eight games due to a left thigh contusion. Suggs has still only done non-contact work since his latest injury. Even if he’s able to return for Orlando’s last game before the All-Star break on Wednesday, Suggs will be on a minutes restriction.

“It’s just very important that we keep understanding that everyone’s body is different [and] how they respond to treatment is different,” head coach Jamahl Mosley told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “We’re going to make sure he’s taken care of the right way and understand exactly how we integrate guys back because this is for the long haul.”

The Magic have gone 5-14 over their past 19 games. Their overall defensive rating of 109.0 still ranks third in the league, but it was at 106.4 prior to Suggs’ first 10-game absence and has has been just 113.9 (14th) during that 19-game span without him.

“Jalen is a huge piece for us in what he does and his energy and his enthusiasm — same as Moe Wagner (who is out for the season),” Mosley said. “You can’t replace those pieces whether you try to or not. To put the weight of the entire defense on a young man and what he provides, it’s tough to do.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Andrew Wiggins‘ Heat debut didn’t go well. He shot 3-of-12 shooting from the field while scoring 11 points in 30 minutes against Boston on Monday. Wiggins, acquired from Golden State in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster, wasn’t fazed and knows an adjustment period will be necessary. “That’s the NBA for you,” he said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “It’s never going to be easy. Every game is going to be a dog fight, every game is important, especially for this team. I’m learning my way through. But at the end of the day, it’s basketball. I’ve been playing it since I was a kid. So I think I’ll be fine.”
The Heat will play a preseason game in Puerto Rico this fall, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. It will be the team’s seventh exhibition in Puerto Rico over the team’s 38 seasons but their first since 2006.
Veteran big man Larry Nance Jr. would likely draw a lot of interest in the buyout market but The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie doubts that Nance and the Hawks will pursue that avenue. League sources tell Vecenie that Atlanta coach Quin Snyder is a big fan of the 32-year-old, who has been in the Hawks’ rotation since returning last month from hand surgery. Nance will sit out Wednesday’s game due to a knee injury.

Injury Notes: V. Williams, Suggs, Harris, Ball, Curry

January 29th, 2025 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters a few weeks ago that he was hoping to have injured swingman Vince Williams back on the court at some point in January. However, that won’t happen, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes.

Williams is still week-to-week as he continues to recover from a grade 3 ankle sprain, a team spokesperson announced on Wednesday.

“Based on prior timeline, the hope was for him to play by the end of this month,” the spokesperson said, “but unfortunately sounds like Vince’s return from the significant sprain will take a bit longer.”

Williams, 24, had a breakout season in 2023/24 for the Grizzlies, averaging 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game with a .446/.378/.800 shooting line in 52 appearances (33 starts). Health issues have limited him to just three outings so far in ’24/25.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After missing 10 games due to a low back strain, Magic guard Jalen Suggs suffered a left quad contusion on Saturday in his first game back and had to sit out Monday’s contest in Miami. Suggs wasn’t able to practice on Wednesday, but it sounds like the injury shouldn’t cost him much time — he’s listed as questionable for Thursday’s game in Portland, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). Orlando is 4-9 this season when Suggs doesn’t play.
While Suggs’ status for Thursday is up in the air, Magic wing Gary Harris appears to be trending toward a return after missing the past 13 games with a left hamstring strain. Harris took contact in Wednesday’s practice and is listed as probable for Thursday, Beede notes.
After exiting Monday’s loss to the Lakers in the second quarter due to a left ankle injury, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been ruled out for Wednesday’s matchup with Brooklyn, per the team (Twitter links). The Hornets announced on Tuesday that Ball is still having the ankle evaluated and that updates will be provided as appropriate.
The Warriors continue to carefully monitor Stephen Curry‘s workload, holding him out of Tuesday’s win over Utah due to bilateral knee injury management, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. It was the first end of a back-to-back set and the first game in a stretch of three games in four days, as head coach Steve Kerr pointed out. “We take it day-to-day, week-to-week, and it made sense to give him the night off and try to get him right for the rest of the week,” Kerr said.

Magic’s Jalen Suggs Returning From Low Back Strain

January 25th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Suggs will return to the court tonight against Detroit after missing the past 10 games with a low back strain, the Magic announced (via Twitter).

Orlando went 2-8 with Suggs sidelined and enters tonight on a five-game losing streak. After a strong start to the season, the Magic have fallen into seventh place in the East at 23-23.

Suggs, who last played on January 3, was in the midst of a career-best season before getting hurt. Through 34 games, the 23-year-old guard was averaging career highs with 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per night. He’s a vital part of the team’s defense, earning an All-Defensive Second Team nod and finishing 10th in the Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.

The Magic are starting to get healthier after a long string of injuries that sidetracked their season. Paolo Banchero returned from a torn oblique two weeks ago, and Franz Wagner was back in the lineup Thursday for the first time since suffering the same injury.

Suggs will start tonight alongside Banchero, Wagner, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr., tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who notes that it’s the first time Orlando’s opening-night starting lineup has been together since October 30.

“Just the familiarity of being around each other,” coach Jamahl Mosley said of the benefit of having his preferred starters back together (Twitter video link). “And I’ll start by saying it’s not going to be the same as opening night. These guys haven’t been together. There’s minutes that these guys have to hold. But we do expect the standard of play of the continuity, the togetherness, the toughness, the defensive focus that we’ve constantly talked about. Us being who we are, you can expect that from this group tonight.”

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