Jalen Suggs eager to embrace the physicality of playoff basketball

Jalen Suggs is still seemingly on guard. He can’t wait to inject himself into anything. He feels like he never wants to miss a moment. He missed so much in his first two seasons that no one could blame him for being nervous for this moment and the opportunity ahead.

A thigh contusion, however, forced Suggs to miss the two biggest games of the season against the New York Knicks And Indiana Pacers. Suggs had to absorb the environment and atmosphere of those high-pressure games from the bench. He had to wait his turn to go down to the ground.

More than that, he needed to see the physicality increase in these matches, the kind of style that suited him. This is exactly the kind of game he really wants to play.

To say the least, Suggs is definitely looking forward to getting back on the field. Wednesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.

“Those were two fun games that I missed,” Suggs said after Wednesday’s penalty shootout. “I was really hurt, I tell you. I wanted to be there with the boys. The environment was high-level. I hated it.

“I think it was a good learning moment for us. For me, personally, to be able to see that and I think I felt those games being in them. But being able to watch it from a different perspective was a “It’s a good learning experience for the team. Now we have a lot of stuff on film that we can watch and come back to and help improve for the next month and get ready for the playoffs. “

The Magic actually had a taste of the Playoffs, notably during the defeat at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks. Everyone recognized that there was an increased intensity in the crowd. But more than that, it was the physicality of the piece.

Orlando struggled to execute its offense throughout both gamesfailing to score 100 points in each game and having an offensive rating below 100.0 points per 100 possessions in each game.

The game was also notable for its physicality. Both games slowed to a crawl and both teams arrive at the line.

There has been a growing trend across the league (and perhaps some conspiracy theories about mid-season rule changes) to give defenses more space to move and play this type of physical basketball . This was at least confirmed by Shams Charania on Run It Back, who said the competition committee has started meeting to give defenses more freedom.

It may be more about the future and future seasons to slow down the offensive explosion. But it sure seems like playoff basketball has arrived early in the league.

This is something the Magic are trying to adapt to and learn from. They have been a physical defense all season to rank top five in defensive rating. But this weekend, they were certainly surprised by the physical side. It was an important lesson for this young team.

“I think those two games showed us what the game is going to be like,” Suggs said after the penalty shootout on Wednesday. “The physicality, the intensity, the attention to detail that we have to have. We have to keep talking and redouble our demands and really stick to it.”

Suggs was notably absent from these two games, as he loves to play physical defense. He embraces this new emphasis on physical play that has spread across the league.

This is something Suggs thrives on. He is on his way to becoming an all-defensive team player and for good reason. Suggs is in the 90th percentile in D-LEBRON and 87th percentile in defensive zone plus-minus among catch-all defensive stats. Suggs hunts down his opponents with his energy and relentlessness.

Suggs is as key to the Magic’s defensive success as any player. And he licks his lips at the opportunity to play this style.

“The way they’re playing, especially the New York game, their physicality early in the game, their touches, their pushing, I love it,” Suggs said after the shootout Wednesday. “I hope this is how the game continues to progress and we are able to play like this. We leave it more on the field and less in the referees’ calls. Seeing this from the bench instead of being so captivated by the excitement and emotion. While playing the game, I was able to see things that I wouldn’t otherwise recognize. Even though it sucks to be away, it was a great learning experience.

Orlando is eager to reunite with Suggs. His energy elevates the team beyond his contribution to the score or the court… he shoots almost 50 percent from three in eight games since the All-Star Break, which doesn’t hurt either.

Suggs can’t wait to get back on the court and experience the physical experience that is playoff basketball. This seems to be the moment he’s been looking forward to.

He missed the last two games to ensure his thigh contusion wouldn’t become a worse problem in the future. He’s ready to throw himself into the fire again and throw in the physicality the Magic need on defense.

This is the moment he has been impatiently waiting for. And it’s the time of year that everyone knows they thrive.