The Orlando Magic have been bitten by the injury bug plenty this season, and those problems continued on Sunday. Starting guard Jalen Suggs underwent knee surgery that will keep him out indefinitely, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
“Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee and is out indefinitely, sources tell ESPN,” Charania reported on X. “His return will be based on rehab and he is expected to make a full recovery.”
Suggs' injury is the latest in a string of them for the Magic this season. He has been out since January 3 with the injury, save for one game on January 25 where he played just 16 minutes.
Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Suggs have all missed a lot of time this season and have only played six games together, making it very difficult for the team to find continuity and play their best basketball.
Article Continues BelowSuggs has quickly become one of the best perimeter guards in the league on the defensive end of the floor during his career. He is consistently able to shut down the opposing team's best ball handler, which goes a long way towards giving the Magic one of the best defensive units in the league each year.
The Gonzaga product has taken a step forward on the offensive end of the floor as well this season despite playing in just 35 games. He is the team's third-leading scorer at 16.2 points per game and is able to get to the rim effectively at times. While Suggs' perimeter shot is still a work in progress (31.4% on 6.9 3-pointers per game), he is still crucial in helping Orlando stay organized on that end.
The Magic offense has been one of the worst in the NBA this season and that is a big reason why they are currently stuck in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at 29-32. Wagner and Banchero are both healthy at the moment, but this team still has an uphill battle in front of it without Suggs on the floor.