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Jalen Suggs made it clear during Thursday’s exit interviews that his playing style will not change following an injury-shortened season. The Orlando Magic guard, known for his physicality and defensive tenacity, vowed to maintain his aggressive approach as he eyes a full return for the 2025-26 campaign.
“I ain’t changing a damn thing. I ain’t gonna lie to you,” Suggs said. “I ain’t changing nothing, that’s what all this work is for.”
Suggs, 23, appeared in just 35 games this past season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to remove a cartilage fragment. The procedure also included a mosaicplasty to repair the trochlear joint surface. Despite his limited availability, Suggs averaged 16.2 points, four rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 41% from the field and 31.4% from beyond the arc.
The injury came one season after Suggs earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors, establishing himself as a key piece of the Magic’s backcourt. While sidelined, he remained close to the team and took on a more vocal role during Orlando’s playoff series against the defending champion Boston Celtics.
“That was so hard, man,” Suggs said of watching the series from the bench. “No matter what you do, you can’t go out there and help your brothers out during bad stretches, during runs.”
Jalen Suggs embraced leadership role with Magic while sidelined during playoffs
Suggs embraced the opportunity to grow as a leader from the sideline. He spent time with the coaching staff throughout the series and credited the experience with helping him develop a new perspective on the game.
“I tried to be as much of a voice as I could and I thought that this gave me a really dope opportunity to not only learn how to use it, but for me to understand the true power that my voice carries,” Suggs said. “I’m more of a lead by action type of person and I think that’s part of my evolution.”
The Magic fell to Boston in five games, but Suggs remained engaged, viewing the series through what he described as a “pure empty mind space,” free of the physical and emotional toll of being in the game.
“I got to sit with the coaches the whole series,” he added. “So I feel like I looked at it from a completely different lens… The blessing always shows itself and we can continue to learn off of the things that I took away from that time period.”
As for his rehab process, Suggs expressed optimism and noted he is progressing well.
“It’s good. I’m at the point now where I feel so good and comfortable and confident… I wanna like speed up,” Suggs said. “But I’m kind of staying disciplined through that, continuing to move at the speed that my knee is talking to me.”
With Suggs on track for a return next season, the Magic will look to build on their playoff appearance and take another step forward in the Eastern Conference.
