The Magic finally have some Jalen Suggs news worth a look. Suggs has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s NBA Cup game against the Bucks, his first questionable designation since he hurt his right knee on Oct. 25. After eight straight missed games, that’s a meaningful step. Questionable doesn’t mean cleared, but this Jalen Suggs injury update is the clearest sign yet that his return is getting close.
Jalen Suggs Injury Update: Progress in Return From Knee Injury
Suggs went down in the fourth quarter of Orlando’s win in New York on Oct. 25, helped off the court after a non-contact injury. An MRI showed a mild right knee bone bruise with no other structural damage. The Magic said he’d be re-evaluated in two weeks. That was a checkpoint, not a return date.
On Nov. 9, the Orlando Sentinel reported that he was “progressing positively” and had returned to on-court work. The Magic said his timeline would depend on how the knee responds to more activity. The questionable tag for Friday is the next step. Before the injury he averaged 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.0 steals in three games.
Magic Have Missed Suggs’ Defensive Presence
Orlando is 3-5 in the eight games without him and 4-7 overall. His scoring was modest, but his defensive energy has been harder to replace. His two steals a game led the team.
The rest of the injury list hasn’t helped. Paolo Banchero is still out with a right high ankle sprain suffered Oct. 23, and Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda and Izaiyah Nelson are out too. Tristan da Silva and Jamal Cain are questionable. Adding Suggs would give coach Jamahl Mosley another reliable perimeter defender next to Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane and Anthony Black, who scored 26 against Sacramento and 22 against Utah.
Friday’s Game Offers the Next Checkpoint
The Magic host Milwaukee at 7 p.m. ET at Kia Center. Orlando won its last two games, 107-100 at Sacramento and 123-108 at Utah, to finish a road trip 2-2. They’re the first back-to-back wins of the season. The Bucks have lost ten of their last eleven.
Even if Suggs doesn’t play, the upgrade is the news. It moves him out of the extended-absence category and into the final stage of his return. Any further progress depends on how the knee responds in the coming days. That’s the latest Jalen Suggs injury update, and for a team this banged up, it’s a good one.
Jalen Suggs Injury Update Is Encouraging as Magic Host the Bucks