Magic SG Jalen Suggs: First-Team All Defense?

Jalen Suggs has been a catalyst for the Orlando Magic's top-notch defense this season.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 20, 2024

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs has been one of the most disruptive backcourt defenders in the NBA this season.

The growth on the defensive side of his game has propelled the Magic to 41 wins, the first time Orlando has finished .500 or better since the 2018-19 season. The Magic is on pace for its best record since the 2010-11 season when Dwight Howard was the face of the franchise.

Jalen Suggs De'Anthony Melton 76ers — Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year award that season, and Suggs has the chance to be the first Magic player to be on an All-NBA Defensive Team since him.

“First-team all-defense, that’s what that looks like," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Tuesday's win against the Charlotte Hornets. "He’s the head of the snake. He’s the first one on defense: As he’s picking up full court, getting to the basketball, that back line is making sure they’re protecting him, sticking to our principles and knowing what we’re capable of doing, but he starts it all off. His energy, his enthusiasm, it just carries over from him and onto the next guy.”

It's no coincidence that the Magic has won 11 of 14 since the All-Star Break and two of those losses came when Suggs was out with a thigh contusion. The other loss came on the second night of a back-to-back when Paolo Banchero sat against the Atlanta Hawks.

If the Magic is going to make any noise in the postseason, Suggs will have to be the defensive menace he's been all year long. And the more he grows into his own, the better the Magic will become.

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Suggs and the Magic return to the court tomorrow night against the New Orleans Pelicans. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Published Mar 20, 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.