Jalen Suggs is inching closer to a return for Orlando, but the Magic still don’t have a firm date for when he’ll be back in the lineup.
The team told Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel on Monday that Suggs is “progressing positively” through his return-to-play process and has been doing on-court work. There’s still no official timetable, and his return “will depend on how he responds to increased court activities.”
Monday was the reevaluation date for Suggs after he suffered a mild right knee bone bruise in Orlando’s win at New York on October 25. The sixth-year guard will sit out his seventh straight game Tuesday in Sacramento, though he said being back around the group has helped.
“ It’s great to be back,” Suggs said after Monday’s practice. “ A lot of the guys like when they saw me, they (were) like, ‘Wow!’
Feel like it’s been forever since they heard my voice or (have seen) me. That’s how I felt, too.
I don’t like being away from the team, being bunkered down in my room.
“ But I’m feeling better, trying to get my energy back. But I’m glad to be back. ”
Orlando has been shorthanded beyond Suggs, too. Paolo Banchero is also out with a high right ankle sprain, and the Magic have dropped four straight. They’re 1-5 without Suggs and 2-7 overall.
Around the league, Utah’s Keyonte George left Sunday’s loss in Minnesota after rolling his right ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return. The Jazz said the injury happened when he stepped on Jaylen Clark’s foot, and George has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against Miami with a right ankle sprain.
Atlanta got a boost Monday with Jock Landale back in the mix. The Hawks backup center, who had missed the previous four games and most of a fifth with a strained left hip, was upgraded to available for the Lakers matchup. Landale signed a one-year, $14.1MM deal with Atlanta this offseason and will be an unrestricted free agent again next summer.
Houston is still waiting on two big men of its own. Head coach Ime Udoka said the Rockets are targeting either Nov. 15 at Washington or Nov. 16 at Miami for the returns of Steven Adams and Clint Capela. Adams has played only once this season because of a right soleus strain, while Capela has missed the last three games with a right ankle sprain.
The Lakers, meanwhile, had Luka Doncic back in action Monday in Atlanta after he sat out Sunday with back tightness. But Austin Reaves was out because of illness, and Quentin Grimes missed the game with a sprained finger on his right hand.
That opened the door for Cameron Carr, and JJ Redick said the first-round pick would be in the rotation. “ There’s always room to grow as a player,” Redick said of Carr, who has been out of the rotation this fall.
“ For Cam, that growth is going to come on the defensive end. He’ll get comfortable just through reps and minutes within our offense, and he’s incredibly skilled.
I think it’s really hard to not be in a rhythm. I mean, he talked about it with somebody on our staff yesterday.
It’s a challenge.”
Redick also said the team expects Grimes to miss only a short stretch. “ It’s just some swelling,” Redick said.
“ It’s obviously a shooting wrist or shooting hand as well. So I think just being cautious with it, and hopefully he’s back, you know, (in) the next game or so.
”
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