Best of the Best: PG Jalen Suggs Best Defender on Orlando Magic?

In a year where the Orlando Magic has impressed on the defensive side, who has been the absolute best?

Mar 3, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) defends Detroit Pistons / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Orlando Magic has surprised a lot of people this season, and a lot of its success has come as a result of its great team defense.

In a recent article by Bleacher Report, they give awards to a couple players on every NBA team. And for the Magic, one of the awards he gave was Defensive Player of the Year, and he gave it to tough guard Jalen Suggs.

"Suggs' offense is secondary to some of the best backcourt defense in the entire league," Bleacher Report writes. "Seemingly unscreenable and a nightmare to attack in space, Suggs instructs his matchups on what it's like to be attacked by a swarm of hornets. He's everywhere at once, inducing a level of panic that flips the offense-defense dynamic, rendering the ball-handler the one under threat."

Apr 3, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The third-year guard is averaging a career-high 12.5 points per game and is shooting some solid shooting percentages, both from the field and from three. But it is his relentlessness on defense that really makes Suggs a nightmare of a matchup.

He is averaging 1.4 steals per game, but does a lot more than just take the ball away. He harrasses the ball-handler and doesn't give them any room to breath, and that is what makes him one of the best backcourt defenders in the entire league.

Suggs will be looking to contribute on the defensive end in the postseason, as plays on that end can be the difference between winning a game and going home with a loss.

Suggs and the rest of the Magic will be back in action on the road on Friday against Joel Embiid and the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from the Wells Fargo Center.