Ex-Zag Jalen Suggs continues to blossom as two-way player for Orlando Magic
DALLAS – Last season, Jalen Suggs earned a spot on the NBA All-Defensive second team, reinforcing what anyone who has watched him play knew: The former Gonzaga standout excels at defense.
“It feels amazing (to be recognized). That’s something I’ve always loved to do,” Suggs said. “Defense is a part of the game, a critical part of the game. It’s always been instilled in me from my dad that if you play at a high level, you do this side at a high level as well as your offensive game. Just to be on one of those teams is really an honor. To accomplish something like that is a true testament to all the work put in and all the people with this team and my family who have invested in me.”
Suggs, 23, in his fourth NBA season with Orlando – which selected him fifth overall in the 2021 NBA draft – has been stellar on both ends of the floor. This season, he is averaging 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Magic entering Tuesday’s game against Charlotte.
With Orlando, the ex-Zag has played for only one head coach in Jamahl Mosley and said that’s a big reason why he’s blossomed as a pro, especially on the defensive end, pointing to Mosley’s positive influence.
“I’ve become much better (playing for him). I’ve learned the game,” Suggs said. “I’ve learned nuances and how to pick my spots much better than in the past. That’s a credit to ‘Mose’ and the coaching staff.
“All the guys watch film, help me break things down, share their insight to help me become more of an intelligent defender. They’ve poured so much into me and hold me accountable on that end. No matter what’s going on, they’ve always held me accountable, and when you have that every day, you have no choice but to match the expectations of what they’re asking for.”
This season, Mosley has asked Suggs to be more of a table setter for the offense, especially with Orlando losing top scorer Paolo Banchero to an oblique injury early this season.
“It’s ongoing with ‘Jay.’ A lot of it has to do with the poise and ability to set the table on the court,” Mosley said. “It’s not necessarily shooting. It’s more about the poise to be able to conduct the team and show that we’re OK in the right areas for what we’re trying to run.”
Not only did Suggs get recognized for his defense for the first time after last season – one that saw him play a career-best 75 games – but he also returned home to Minnesota and spent extended time there last summer for the first time in a while.
“I hadn’t had the opportunity to do so since that fall of getting ready to go to Gonzaga, so to be back home and spend about a month and a half there back in the community with my family, living there not just for two or three days but actually spending time there was amazing,” he said. “It’s so grounding, a great place to go and reflect after a long year, a long season. I was so grateful for my time there.”
Gonzaga fans only saw Jalen for one year in Spokane – the 2020-21 season that saw the Zags fall to Baylor in the NCAA Tournament title game – but the lasting impact of playing for Mark Few continues to stick with him.
“I learned a lot from Coach Few. Being steady is one of the biggest things,” Suggs said. “We had a lot of great players that year, a lot of great personalities.
“We knew we had an opportunity to do something special and the only thing that could take us away from that was ourselves, our emotions and feelings. Coach Few did a good job of teaching me how to stay calm and steady throughout bad games, good games, stretches of life that may get tougher. He was always so calm and present for me, I naturally picked up on it being around him. He’s taught me a lot about life, about being a man, and I’ll always be grateful for that, being steady in all areas of my life, especially outside of the basketball court.”
Suggs also savors his strong friendship with former Zag Julian Strawther, now with the Denver Nuggets, when the two were roommates in 2020.
“Me and Julian’s relationship naturally is super special. We spent so much time together in that COVID year. We didn’t have our families,” he said. “We didn’t have anybody else on campus really besides the team. After practice, we’d just go back to our apartment and spend hours together playing the game, watching each other play the game, laughing, random things to forge a real brotherhood. I love what he’s doing on the court and that he’s coming into his own in Denver. It’s really exciting to see. He’s an impressive human being.”
Suggs considers himself blessed to have grown up in the NBA over the past three seasons and for being drafted by an organization in Orlando, which like Gonzaga, has been a perfect fit for him.
“It (the NBA) teaches you so much about yourself. You learn a lot about yourself very early. I love it,” he said. “It wasn’t all pretty, it wasn’t all flowers, but it’s not supposed to be.
“You get to travel the country and meet tons of people from all different walks of life in different communities, different situations. They all share common knowledge and a common love of the game of basketball. I love it here. I can be my true, authentic self here as can everybody else. That’s a beautiful thing. They (Gonzaga and Orlando) have been two extensions of home, to be honest. I love Gonzaga because of the community and the character that’s part of the program and the school. Orlando’s a lot of the same. I’ve loved both places. Both places have a spot in my heart.”
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.