Account
Magic's Jalen Suggs Won't Need Surgery on Thumb Injury; Reevaluation in 2 Weeks
December 1, 2021
Orlando Magic rookie point guard Jalen Suggs is set to miss time after suffering a fractured right thumb Monday. On Tuesday, the team provided some clarity on the extent of his injury.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Orlando said Suggs will not require surgery and he will be evaluated every two weeks to assess how his thumb is healing.
Suggs exited Monday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter after Sixers big man Joel Embiid stripped him of the ball on a drive to the basket. The Gonzaga product was amid one of his best games of the season prior to exiting with 17 points and five assists. It was his fourth straight game scoring in double figures.
Suggs has started all 21 games he has played as a rookie, but he's struggled to find consistency. The 2021 fifth overall pick averages 12.3 points, 3.6 assists and a team-high 3.2 turnovers in 27.8 minutes per game. He's shooting 33.9 percent from the field and 25.5 percent on three-pointers despite averaging the second-most field goal attempts on the team behind only leading scorer Cole Anthony.
At 4-18, the Magic have the worst record in the NBA. Suggs' injury adds to the list of ailments Orlando has been working through this season. Anthony has missed the last six games while nursing a sprained ankle. Veteran guards Michael Carter-Williams (ankle) and Markelle Fultz (knee) and forward Jonathan Isaac (knee) have yet to play this season.
Suggs absence would likely mean more minutes for second-year guard R.J. Hampton, who is averaging 7.5 points this season. Veteran guard Gary Harris will also be called upon to provide some stability in Orlando's backcourt.
