Taking a detailed look at 2021 NBA Draft's #5 pick, Jalen Suggs: Player profile, skills, and fit with Orlando Magic
The 2021 NBA draft did not throw a host of surprises, although Raptors fans’ might still be struggling to understand why their team passed up on Jalen Suggs in favor of Florida State’s Scottie Barnes. For the Toronto Raptors, it seemed a case of what their present roster required. They have a core of Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. and were short of a starting Center.
Jalen Suggs on the other hand is an all-round two way small forward capable of coming up clutch regularly. He is one of the few draft prospects who had been deemed “NBA-ready” in the build-up to the draft, and is joining a team on which he might as well emerge as the best player within a season or two. In this article, we look at Jalen Suggs’ overall skill set, and his fit with the Orlando Magic.
2021 NBA Draft: Taking a look at Orlando Magic’s #5 pick, Jalen Suggs
The 20-year old Jalen Suggs was part of a stacked Gonzaga roster that had as many as 5 prospects for the 2021 NBA draft. Suggs emerged as an elite athlete capable of defending multiple positions, and has been said to have a “clutch-gene” in him. During the Final Four tournament playing for Gonzaga, Suggs came up with a game-winning mid-court buzzer beater and has shown a consistent ability to come up with baskets when his team needs it the most.
He averaged more than 16 points, 4.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals and has seen a considerable improvement in his efficiency last season. Jalen Suggs was shooting at less than 33% for two seasons and had a breakout year which effectively made him a household name months before the 2021 NBA draft.
Jalen Suggs has often been compared to Jrue Holiday, who is known for his elite defense and a regular penchant for scoring. Suggs, however, has the advantage in the sense that he is already an able 3-point shooter who is only going to improve his offensive game in the coming time. Considering the fact that the Orlando Magic also drafted Franz Wagner, they now have multiple young prospects including the likes of RJ Hampton, Markelle Fultz, Wendall Carter-Williams and Cole Anthony.
Both Anthony and Fultz will be vying with Suggs for minutes at the Point Guard position, with Orlando Magic expected to bring in a couple of free agents in the offseason as well. Regardless, Jalen Suggs has the size of Franz Wagner and the offensive output of Cole Anthony and is able an able defender who is only going to improve in the coming time.
Washington Wizards’ 15th pick Corey Kispert who played with Suggs at Gonzaga had the following to say about him:
“He has this uncanny knack of making these buzzer-beater shots when we put him out there and start counting down. It’s amazing how many of those last-second shots he made in practice. He’s a big-time winner. He has a magical aura.”
While Orlando Magic would not have been planning to go for Jalen Suggs, they have been lucky to have a top combo-guard prospect who can emerge to become an elite two-way player in the NBA.