Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley provides Jalen Suggs injury silver lining
02/20/2025 05:17 PM
Ahead of the Orlando Magic's 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off against the Atlanta Hawks (26-29), head coach Jamahl Mosley provided an update on Jalen Suggs’ injury status as the guard is set to miss his 10th consecutive game. Suggs continues to deal with a left quad contusion that has kept him sidelined for nearly a month.
Mosley spoke with Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel on Thursday morning and explained why Suggs remained in Orlando rather than traveling with the team to Atlanta.
#Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Jalen Suggs — who was ruled OUT Wednesday for tonight's game at Atlanta due to a left quad contusion — is back home getting treatment "because it's such a quick trip."
Orlando hosts Memphis on Friday in the 2nd game of a back-to-back. pic.twitter.com/lazwgjwAV2
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) February 20, 2025
"Jalen was not able to do… He's actually just back getting treatment, being taken care of in Orlando because it's such a quick trip," Mosley said, via the Orlando Sentinel. "We have the best facility in the league and being able to get the right type of treatment, the right type of things there in that facility is going to be so important for him. And we're going right back there as well, anyway."
Jamahl Mosley emphasizes patience with Jalen Suggs recovery
Suggs' absence against the Hawks marks his 20th missed game in the team's last 21 outings. The Magic have been cautious with his recovery to ensure he returns fully healthy without lingering pain. Mosley reiterated that approach while discussing Suggs' treatment process on Wednesday.
"Everybody responds to treatment, everybody responds to different injuries differently [and] everybody's different," Mosley told Beede. "And so, you want to treat it as such, and not rush a process of getting him fully whole just to squeak back in to not be 100% on the court because he's trying to push through certain things. It's so important that we get him back fully healthy where there is no nagging pain as we go through it."
Orlando has struggled in Suggs' absence, slipping to seventh in the Eastern Conference after losing 14 of their last 20 games. The team's defensive intensity has noticeably declined without Suggs, whose ability to pressure opposing guards and disrupt passing lanes has been a key factor in the Magic's success this season.
Magic feel Suggs’ defensive absence as they fight for consistency
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also spoke to Beede about the impact of Suggs' absence, particularly on the defensive end.
"Defensive-wise, that's where we've been missing him the most," Caldwell-Pope said. "The way he guards and the energy that he brings, everybody feeds off that, even myself."
Suggs has been a key contributor for the Magic this season, averaging 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 40.9% from the field across 35 games. His ability to defend multiple positions and energize the team has been difficult to replace during his extended absence.
With Suggs still out, the Magic will continue searching for ways to compensate for his absence as they fight to stay in the playoff race. Orlando's defensive struggles and lack of consistency in recent weeks have put added pressure on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to lead the team offensively.
The Magic will return home after the matchup against the Hawks, giving Suggs continued access to the team's training facilities as he works toward a return. The organization has not provided an official timeline for his comeback but remains focused on ensuring he fully recovers before rejoining the rotation.
The post Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley provides Jalen Suggs injury silver lining appeared first on ClutchPoints.
