ORLANDO, Fla. — Jalen Suggs just returned after a lengthy absence, but the Orlando Magic rookie feels as though his conditioning level is better than ever before.
Suggs suffered a fractured right thumb on Nov. 29 against the Philadelphia 76ers that cost him 20 games. He recently made good progress from the injury and returned on Friday, scoring 12 points and seven assists in a win over the Charlotte Hornets.
The fifth pick produced 16 points, three rebounds and two assists on Saturday in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks and had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists on Monday versus the Portland Trail Blazers.
The team most missed his competitive spirit, acting head coach Jesse Mermuys said.
We love how Jalen competes. He competes at a high level and puts his nose in there. He is tough and we love that about him. I think he is just going to keep getting better out there and more comfortable. … You see how tough he is, putting it down and attacking the rim.
Suggs, and the team, huddled together after he got injured and laid out a plan of attack during his rehabilitation process. The team collectively thought staying in shape during his time away was the most important thing to work on and Suggs got after it.
He has played at least 20 minutes in each game back and hasn’t looked fatigued or worn down after missing so much time. Remarkably, Suggs believes he is in better shape than he was coming into the season and before he was injured.
I think conditioning-wise,…
