The second-year guard for Orlando averted catastrophic damage, and the timing of his comeback will depend on how he responds to treatment.
In the first minutes of their preseason game against the Mavericks on Friday in Dallas, the Magic, who were hoping to keep developing their backcourt, suffered a setback.
Suggs overcame it
Jalen Suggs of Orlando, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, passed out while setting a screen on Dorian Finney-Smith of the Mavs. Suggs had to be helped to the locker room and never came back. The team determined Suggs suffered a bone bruise and left knee sprain after further testing.
The 21-year-old guard was fortunate to escape catastrophic damage, and his recovery time will depend on how he reacts to care.
He has put in a lot of effort and will keep putting in more, according to Magic coach Jamahl Mosley.
In 48 games as a rookie in 2021–2022, Suggs averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while playing 27.2 minutes per game.
He joins a long list of Magic players who are currently out injured, including No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz from 2017 (fractured left big toe), guard Gary Harris (recovering from left knee meniscectomy), forward Admiral Schofield (bruised left knee), and forward Jonathan Isaac (who hasn’t played since 2020 due to ongoing left knee injury recovery).
The final two preseason games for Orlando are against Memphis on Tuesday and Cleveland on Friday, both at home. On October 19, the Magic play the Detroit Pistons in their first regular-season game (7 ET, NBA League Pass).
Summarize it all
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Orlando’s Jalen Suggs, passed out while setting a screen on the Mavs’ Dorian Finney-Smith. The 21-year-old guard was fortunate to avoid serious injury, and how he responds to treatment will determine how quickly he recovers. Injured Magic players Jonathan Isaac and No. 1 selection Markelle Fultz (fractured left big toe) are among a long list of others who have recently joined him (ongoing left knee injury recovery).