TORONTO - The Magic got some relief on Jalen Suggs, but the injury pileup is still forcing Orlando into another tough patch on the road.
One day after Suggs left Sunday’s win over the Knicks clutching his right knee late in the fourth quarter, the team said an MRI revealed only a mild bone bruise and no other structural damage. Suggs will be re-evaluated two weeks from Monday.
“We all feel for him,” Magic guard Desmond Bane said. “You never want anybody to go down and miss time.
If there is some beauty in it, it is good that it wasn’t anything super, super severe. (We will) give him some time and he’ll be back with us ready to help us win some more games.
(We will) wrap our arms around him while he’s out but looking forward to getting him back.”
Jase Richardson had the same reaction when Suggs went down.
“I was super worried when it happened. I didn’t know what could possibly happen.
But I’m super glad it wasn’t anything overly serious. So, he hopefully rests up and gets back out there soon.”
Even with that positive update, Orlando heads into Wednesday’s game against the Raptors with only 10 standard contract players available. The list of absences is long: Paolo Banchero is out with a right low-grade high ankle sprain, Noah Penda has a right partially torn hamstring and Jonathan Isaac is sidelined by left knee injury management.
The Magic do have two-way options available in forward Alex Morales and center Colin Castleton. Rookie two-way forward Izaiyah Nelson is still out as he works back from a left ankle fracture suffered at Las Vegas Summer League.
There’s also one standard contract spot still open on the roster, though the team hasn’t said when, or if, it plans to fill it. Jeff Weltman had said before the season there were “no immediate plans” for that 15th standard roster spot.
For a short-handed group, the task is simple: keep everyone locked into the plan and make the most of the minutes available.
“Everybody has a great idea of what we’re trying to do on both ends of the floor,” Bane said. “I think coach Sweeney’s doing a great job of just saying, ‘Just do that.’ Just do what we’re asking and good things will happen.”
That approach showed up Sunday at Madison Square Garden, where Richardson made his first NBA start. He played 17 minutes, knocked down two 3-pointers and added a rebound.
“First NBA start, I never imagined it being at Madison Square Garden, so I’m super thankful to the coaching staff and my teammates who trusted me,” Richardson told the Orlando Sentinel after the game Sunday. “I could have played a lot better in my opinion but I’m just excited to get better and get back to the next game.”
Toronto will be missing a major name, too. The Raptors announced Tuesday morning that two-time defensive player of the year Kawhi Leonard will be re-evaluated in a week because of swelling in his left knee.
That doesn’t make the assignment any easier for Orlando. The Raptors beat the Magic twice last season, and through the first week of the regular season they led the NBA in defensive rating at 97.8 and steals per night at 14, according to NBA.com.
“They’re a fast-playing team on both sides of the ball (and) physical,” Bane said. “They like to win the game based off their energy so we’re going to have to match that, for sure, on the road.”
The teams meet Wednesday in Toronto, then again Friday at Scotiabank Arena in a game that counts for both the NBA Cup group stage and the regular season standings.
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Franz Wagner and Anthony Black helped provide some relief in New York, giving the team a glimpse of the depth it may need sooner than expected. Wagner caught fire late, and Blacks bench production stood out, but the bigger issue now is how Orlando manages the bigger-picture strain of losing key rotation pieces this early and whether the roster can keep its footing while the team waits for better health. [Read more 🡒]
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Franz Wagner has been the steady piece through the opening stretch, the one player who has shown up across the box score and kept Orlando moving. He has quietly filled a role that goes beyond scoring, giving the Magic production on the glass and as a creator while the lineup sorts itself out. With Banchero sidelined, Wagners importance only grows, and the early test for Orlando is whether that consistency can help hold the team together before the road trip gets any longer. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Suddenly Have A Ty Jerome Question Worth Watching
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Orlandos interest is easy to understand from a roster-fit standpoint, even if nothing is close to done. The Magic have been mentioned in possible trade chatter alongside other teams, and any conversation about Jerome naturally leads to the same question: whether a deal can be constructed that makes sense for both sides if Memphis decides it is serious about retooling. For now, it is just another name on a growing list of guards worth watching as the season develops. [Read more 🡒]