The Orlando Magic turned a corner last season and had one of the toughest teams on both ends of the floor.
With the team’s old-school offense and gritty defense, head coach Jamahl Mosley has high expectations for his team this year. Not to mention the High hopes are placed on the Magic players.
“The eye test will support (Jalen) Suggs’ stats,” Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes wrote. “He’s undeniably disruptive with the ball, steals balls at a top-10 rate and may be the league’s toughest point guard to control.”
“If Suggs simply has a season like 2023-24, but gets more attention as the voting population recognizes his impact, he should finish in the top five. All it will take is a little bad luck for a few of the favorites, and Suggs will have a real shot at winning this award.”
Suggs was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The Gonzaga product showed potential as a two-way threat in his lone season in college. However, the guard’s offensive game remains a work in progress as he enters his fourth season in Orlando.
Fortunately for the team, the 23-year-old has shown considerable defensive potential. Averaging 1.3 steals per game over his NBA career, Suggs has already been named to the All-NBA Defensive Team.
Heading into next season, the former lottery pick will be an underdog to win one of the league’s most prestigious awards.
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