I'll admit I was one of the bigger Suggs fans in the 2021 Draft. I watched a lot of those Gonzaga games and became a huge fan ever since the Maui Invitational. I never saw him as a lead playmaker who could average 8+ assists a game, but someone who could be a jack of all trades. I think a version of Jrue Holiday was always my hopes for him. I've been trying to reconcile my impressions of Gonzaga Suggs with Magic Suggs.
He's been way better as a defender than I anticipated. I think his playmaking is about where I thought it would be. I never thought he was a lead playmaker in the mold of someone like Tyrese Haliburton, but he always seemed like an off-guard that could make good reads and passes. And that's the role he played at Gonzaga, with Andrew Nembhard taking on more of the lead guard role. I think what also went underrated about Suggs is he was probably the 4th most important player on that Zags team, behind Timme, Kispert, and Nembhard. He thrived as their off ball guard who could float in and out and pick his spots with the others carrying the scoring load. I think him being the lone player for the Zags to show up in that Championship game against Baylor was all I needed to know that he was head and shoulders above everyone else and ready for the league.
The biggest thing that stood out to me in Suggs' first 1.5 seasons is the shooting. He's a way worse shooter than I anticipated. The 33% from deep at Gonzaga didn't worry me as much given the kind of 3's he was taking and making and the 75% from the free throw line. I really think Suggs' shooting struggles is the impetus for his spiral. The defenses don't respect his shot, they play deep off him, and he's not athletic/fast/crafty enough to finish as well over the longer and stronger defenders in the NBA. I think the shooting struggles have made him second guess himself out there at times. There was a point where it looked like he was overthinking every decision and it started impacting him as a playmaker. I think it really got in his head. And if you can't shoot, I'm not sure you can play shooting guard. And if you can't shoot, I think you have to be an elite passer and playmaker to be passable as a point guard, which he is not. So what is he?
And yet, it always feels like he's making a positive impact when he's out there. It never impacts his energy and effort on the defensive end. Perhaps I have to readjust my expectations for Suggs. His start feels very similar to Marcus Smart. Smart was a miserably inefficient offensive player the first several seasons of his career and still isn't the best shooter. But, he's capable. More importantly, he's an amazing defender and is a good ball mover for a contending team. There's real value in that. Smart is also perhaps the 3rd or 4th most important player on that roster, and maybe that's Suggs' destiny.
I've really liked Suggs off the bench with Anthony. I don't think every young player needs to start in order to develop and meet their potential. I think the lineups they play with are important as well. I think it gives Anthony and Suggs a chance to find their games against opposing bench units.
I've been super disappointed with Suggs since the draft, but I've always respected the him. Especially after that Chicago game earlier this year where he sprains his ankle and kept playing his ass off. For a team that just loses players every other week for random ailments, he's always trying his best to get out there and play (sometimes to his detriment
) He plays with so much heart. He's in his opponent's jersey all game. He can be 2-10 on the night and he's still giving 110%. He reminds me of Isaac in that respect.
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I'm nowhere ready to give up on him. I think I just have to readjust my expectations. I think if he can get his shooting together, I think you'll see the rest of his game open up. He was recovering from injury most of this past off-season. His whole career has been marred by injury to this point. I think he just needs to be healthy and play. I never thought he would be a superstar savior for the Magic. I think that draft realistically had 2 of those players in Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley. Even Green, who's an amazing athlete and scorer and may get there, leaves a lot to be desired. I still think there's a path for Suggs to get to where a player like Marcus Smart is, and an outside chance of where someone like Jrue Holiday is. We also have to accept how impatient we all are as fans to some extent. The kid is 21 years old and has played only 75 NBA games. So many of his comps - Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart, Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley, Chauncey Billups - took time and patience to develop. None of those guys are saving your franchise, but they can be the starting point guard of championship-level teams. There's also a chance that this is what he is and that's it.
The only 2 untouchable players on this team are Banchero and Wagner. And I think we're on their time. So every decision has to come down to how do we maximize those 2 guys' strengths. Ideally, we need more shooting around those 2 players. And Suggs is just going to have to get better in that respect to play more minutes on this team. We have a bottom 5 back court in the NBA right now with no starting caliber guards. I don't think it's unreasonable to see the development through with Suggs. Of the Fultz/Suggs/Anthony trio, Suggs is the one I'm most high on becoming a winning player on a good team long term. But, you have to give something to get something. And if there's a trade out there that makes sense to upgrade the back court that better fits Banchero and Wagner, then I think you'd have to look at it. I also think we got time. It's year 2 of a rebuild and we got 2 cornerstones to build around, which is the hardest hurdle to clear.