Magic's Jalen Suggs Compared to Celtics Star Jrue Holiday

The Orlando Magic could have their own version of Jrue Holiday in Jalen Suggs.

Jeremy Brener | May 12, 2024

Nov 22, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) and Milwaukee Bucks / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

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ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic prided themselves on the defensive end of the ball all season long.

Among the players to make an impact on defense was Jalen Suggs, who even got a third-place vote for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award. Nine players got more votes than Suggs, including Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday.

"His anticipation is really good," coach Jamahl Mosley said. "I compared it the other day to how Jrue [Holiday] is."

Holiday is arguably the motor of the Boston Celtics defensive plan, and they are currently trying to do what the Magic couldn't: beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. They have a 2-1 lead in part due to Holiday's defensive efforts.

Suggs is only 22 years old and has just completed his third NBA season, which reflects that there is a ton of potential in his game. If he can follow along the trajectory Holiday had in his career, he could be a legitimate piece to the championship puzzle trying to be put together in Orlando.

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Published May 12, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.