For Orlando Magic second-year guard Jalen Suggs, the previous couple of weeks — particularly the earlier two days — have been encouraging.
Suggs has taken important steps ahead in returning to the courtroom just lately, being sidelined since exiting the Nov. 25 dwelling loss to the Philadelphia 76ers with proper ankle soreness.
For the time since sitting with the damage, he absolutely participated in practices Monday and Tuesday forward of Wednesday’s dwelling sport vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. Monday’s observe concerned extra five-on-five scrimmaging and live-action drills whereas Tuesday was a much less intense session.
“I’ve had the biggest smile on my face these past two weeks, just being able to do more every day, ramping up,” Suggs stated after Tuesday’s observe, his first time talking with reporters since lacking time with the damage. “Going from the weight room to actual on-court workouts to 1s, to 3s to now playing 5s. All of it’s been great.”
Suggs gained’t be out there Wednesday.
Coach Jamahl Mosley didn’t rule out Suggs or Jonathan Isaac — who additionally absolutely participated in observe Monday and Tuesday — for Thursday’s dwelling sport vs. the Memphis Grizzlies, the second evening of a back-to-back. Mosley stated Monday there wasn’t a timetable but for the returns of Isaac or Suggs.
“I’m going to give it some time to see how they respond,” Mosley added, “obviously, to how the practices have been and move forward from there.”
When requested if there’s a timeframe he’s targetting to return by, Suggs responded “ASAP [as soon as possible]. I feel great.”
Suggs’ absence on Wednesday would be the nineteenth consecutive sport he’s sat due to the damage.
He stated the soreness began to flare up main as much as the house video games vs. the 76ers on Nov. 25 and Nov. 27. Suggs performed 19 minutes within the first sport vs. Philadelphia and sat the second for his first absence.
“That last Philly game, we had talked about to go, not to go, seeing what we could play through,” Suggs stated. “And after that, came to the decision ‘let’s just take care of it’ and kind of dead the issue.”
Suggs additionally sat 5 video games (Oct. 22-30) earlier within the season due to a sprained proper ankle.
He performed in November’s first 12 video games earlier than sitting due to ankle soreness.
Suggs had surgical procedure to deal with a stress fracture in his proper ankle — the identical ankle he’s sidelined due to now — early within the offseason, limiting how a lot he might take part in basketball actions.
“We did the surgery to take care of all the problems,” Suggs stated. “It simply sort of ended up coming again, so ensuring the problems are put to relaxation and it’s not one thing we’ve to fret about anymore earlier than it turns into an even bigger challenge.
“Things don’t always work out how you want it to. Now that it came back, taking our time, making sure we’re deliberate with it, and making sure when I do come back, there’s no soreness.”
The Magic (13-24) have gone 8-10 in Suggs’ absence, together with 8-7 throughout a December during which the Magic gained six consecutive video games from Dec. 7-18 and gained eight of 10 video games from Dec. 7-Dec. 23. They shut out December on a three-game dropping streak, dropping video games to the Los Angeles Lakers (Dec. 27), Detroit Pistons (Dec. 28) and Washington Wizards (Dec. 30).
“It was an excellent December,” Suggs stated. “Obviously a bit powerful coming to the tip with the suspensions and we dropped the final couple, however we’re enjoying glorious as a staff and we’re very selfless.
“But also when we were on that run, we had a swagger and confidence. Going into this new year, getting everybody back after being banged up, getting that groove back and just coming into it ready to rock. We’re ready to make this run and do what we have to do. We’ve shown that it’s possible already. That standard is set. Now it’s about matching that every day.”
Suggs, the No. 5 choose within the 2021 draft, had an up-and-down rookie season partially due to accidents that restricted him to 48 video games. The similar has to this point been the case this season.
He’s averaged 12.4 factors (41.9% taking pictures, 29.4% on 3s), 5.4 assists and three.3 rebounds in 28.9 minutes (14 video games).
Suggs was sidelined for 20 video games from early December 2021 by way of mid-January 2022 after fracturing his proper thumb and handled accidents to his proper ankle that sidelined him for 13 of the ultimate 18 video games final season.
Being away from the ground for one more prolonged stretch has examined his persistence, however he understands the method.
“It’s definitely been difficult,” Suggs stated. “Especially not with the ability to go on the street with the fellows. When we had been enjoying properly and issues had been going nice, I needed to be part of that. When you’re not capable of be part of that and need to see it from a distance, you realize they nonetheless love and look after you however simply being away undoubtedly is hard.
“Definitely been a test of patience, but every time [I’ve been sidelined], I’ve grown as a player and a person. Sometimes you have to take these things for what they are, learn from them, look at it glass half-full and keep it pushing.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com