Jalen Suggs landed at No. 16 on FanSided's 25-under-25 NBA Player Rankings this season, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.
Jalen Suggs was the best perimeter defender in the NBA two years ago. For a player at age 24 to already be able to shut down ballhandlers in a perimeter league is a big deal.
Suggs built off that success in 2024 and asked for the full-time point guard responsibilities. And then… he got hurt. And then hurt some more. And never recovered.
Even this preseason, Suggs hasn’t been able to play, and his availability to start the season is in question.
Suggs also shot 39.7 percent back in 2024 and saw that plummet to 31 percent last year in his limited minutes and attempts (242 in 35 games). If he can’t space the floor, that’s an issue.
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Jalen Suggs makes a difference with his defense
But the defense. Man, the defense. With Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs on the floor together last year in the just 91 minutes they were able to play, the Magic had a 100 defensive rating and won those minutes by eight points per 100 possessions.
Suggs is also tough as nails when he’s able to play. He’s a tough finisher at the rim and can play as a floor general to keep the offense organized.
A good comp for Suggs is Derrick White, who started his career older than Suggs, but struggled early with efficiency before becoming one of the best off-ball shooters in the league. That will take work, but it would make Suggs a remarkably complete player.
Suggs may never win a DPOY award because the voters are impossibly bound to rewarding blocks and rebounds. But if he’s able to stay healthy, he’ll rack up All-Defense selections. In a league where ball pressure is becoming more and more important to slow down actions and deter penetration, Suggs’ defense is the kind that can change games.
Orlando needs buckets. They desperately need better shooting. The jury is out on whether Suggs can be that kind of shooter. He had one season where he was, and other seasons where he was far away.
However, the Magic offense is hoping to improve comprehensively this season, rather than focusing on targeted improvements. If the overall rhythm of the team improves, Suggs could improve to league average, and with all the rest of his skills, that makes him a top-50 player in the league.
There’s a more complete player waiting in Suggs. He has already proven he can be an elite defensive player, but few people realize the extent of his disruption and what that means for Orlando’s identity. With more offensive refinement and a better shooting percentage, he can be the secret reason Orlando cashes in on their potential and finally becomes a contender for the first time in 15 years.