If you’ve tuned into an Orlando Magic game recently, noticed Jalen Suggs make a chasedown block, and started to wonder, “wow, it feels like Suggs blocks a shot from behind every time I watch the Magic,” it’s because he has.

Is the game slowing down for Suggs so much that he’s channeling his inner LeBron, using his athleticism, shot-tracking, and defensive instincts to let his man drive past him, giving the opponent an ounce of hope that he beat Suggs off the dribble, just to suddenly surge forward and block the driver’s shot from behind?

Let’s investigate.

Finding a Role Update: The Defense

Last year, Jalen Suggs was the king of the Pick Six, a Backcourt Ballhawk forcing turnovers and scoring breakaways on what felt like every play.

This year, Suggs leads all guards in Blocks Per Game (1.2) and Total Blocks (21), narrowly edging out Derrick White.

Tracking every block from behind, forced turnover, and (missed) shot contest for Jalen through 18 games this season reveals that Suggs has in fact averaged one chasedown block per game, 19 to be exact.

Sometimes, it looks like Suggs has been beaten, almost as if he’s given up on a play, just to creep up behind the driver, quickly accelerate and explode into a smackdown from behind.

Often, Jalen’s even able to keep the ball inbounds, somehow swatting the shot hard enough to deny the force of the opponent’s attack, yet soft enough to recover the loose ball before it becomes a lost possession, making multiple winning plays at once.

Don’t drive by Jalen Suggs or you might just feel the wind up and follow through of his shot-swatter arm bopping off your skull.

Suggs, of course, doesn’t just block shots; he’s a ball of energy one-man wrecking crew who doesn’t run out of gas.

His motor never turns off.

His screen navigation is as clean as any defender in the world.

His versatile switchability is as strong and agile as a guard can be.

On top of his 19 chase-down blocks, Suggs has swatted a shot, stolen the rock, or forced a turnover 33 more times, while the Magic have scored points or drawn fouls directly off turnovers forced by Suggs on 15 possessions.

Have you heard that Jalen Suggs used to be a defensive back in football? Pick-Six Suggs is alive and well.

Orlando ranks as the third-best defense in the league, primarily because they force the second-most turnovers (17.4 TOV%), grab the second-most defensive rebounds (25.4% DREB%), and hold opponents to the seventh-lowest shooting percentage (53.1% eFG%), via Cleaning the Glass.

Suggs’ rotations have been timely, his shot contests have stayed active, his second and third effort always shows up.

Jalen has personally contested 71 shots that opponents missed.

Sometimes he’ll rotate so well he contests multiple shots in the same possession, or gets his active hands on the ball for a deflection without recovering the loose ball and still make it out to the perimeter to close out on an open shooter.

Jalen Suggs Contesting Missed Shots – Part 1

Jalen Suggs Contesting Missed Shots – Part 2

Finding a Role Update: The Offense

While Suggs’ All-Defense level impact has been as dominant as ever, the full-time point guard experiment has been inconclusive at best or average at worst.

Even though Orlando’s elite defense has been spearheaded by Suggs’ willpower and tenacity for four years running, after Paolo went down, the Magic’s offense took off once they put the ball in Franz’ hands as primary initiator.

Letting a career-high volume of 3PA fly, launching just under 7 threes per game, Jalen’s efficiency from downtown has regressed after a hot start, down to 31% 3P%.

Perhaps losing Paolo has changed Jalen’s shot volume from more open secondary closeout-attacks and off-ball spot ups, where Suggs is hitting 38% 3P% on 93 Catch-and-Shoot 3PA, to more on-ball usage contested jumpers and pull-up threes, where Jalen’s converting just 10% 3P% on 30 pull-up triple attempts.

The skillsets to watch before the season were his Floor General primary initiation, his P&R decision-making, and his Pull-Up 3 effectiveness, where there’s still much to be desired for consistency in all three.

According to Synergy, Jalen’s rated average in most playtypes (P&R Ball-Handler, Spot Ups, Transition, Handoffs).

Suggs rates excellent in ISO efficiency, scoring 1.22 PPP on 23 possessions.

What Suggs has proven thus far is his connective floor-spacing, making team-first reads on both ends, knocking down a high volume of catch-and-shoot threes on good efficiency.

Even taking on more usage, his energy levels are never depleted. Time will tell if Suggs can find consistency as more of a primary creator for the team, but no one can question his will to compete at every opportunity.

Stats as of 11.27.24

The post Don’t Drive By Jalen Suggs appeared first on Swish Theory.

This season the folks at Swish Theory are targeting a handful of players they think will bring more winning impact than expected in their respective roles. These players might not be superstars, but they won’t be benchwarmers, either. In the spirit of Zach Lowe, they are the Derrick White-esque Stars, players who pop on the screen and are expected to take a mini leap in their career progression this season, whether they do so as role players or impact starters.

Let’s examine the proven skills and potential developments for these five players: Jaden Ivey, Amen Thompson, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Chet Holmgren

Jaden Ivey

Offensive Role: Guard Initiator

Offensive Strengths: Quick First Step Burst, Ball Handling, ISO/Handoff Scoring, Drive and Kick Playmaking Feel, Off-ball Cuts

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Pull-Up Shooter
Needs opportunity to show Consistent Efficiency 3pt Shooting, in Pull-Up and C&S

Secondary Skillsets to Watch – Rim Finisher and Floor General
Needs opportunity and defined role to prove consistent efficiency at the rim, is only average PPP at P&R, needs defined role

Defensive Role: Primary POA

Defensive Strengths: Quick feet on the perimeter, P&R Ball Handler Defense against Scorer, Off Screen and Handoff defense, contesting Runners and at the rim

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Cuts Off Drives
Can improve ISO defense
Secondary Skillseet to Watch – PNR Disruptor, Screen Navigator, Timely Rotator
While these are positive skills, can still improve navigating P&R Defense after passes and Deep Range Shot Contests for closeouts on 3pt shooters

Projection: Ivey needs opportunity in a role that maximizes his on-ball drive-and-kick strengths rather than reducing him to a spot-up off-ball threat, his worst attribute. Being 2nd fiddle next to a primary creator in Cade could make this difficult, but splitting up on-ball reps for both is not impossible, especially if staggering play and leaving one in the game at all times to run point and initiate offense.

Ivey has strengths in his game similar to De’Aaron Fox, a first step advantage creating speedster who can fly by any defender in front of him; when the 3pt pull-up is falling and the finishing at the rim is clean, there is no stopping him from scoring with single coverage, and good feel for the game leads to kickout reads.

Coaches could have him focus his energy more on POA defense when sharing the floor with Cade, and more on handling the offensive creation when against second units, while taking turns initiating in between. Both Cade and Jaden attempted 3.3 catch-and-shoot three-pointers per game last season, and Cade even shot the slightly better percentage at 37.1% to Ivey’s 35.5%, so setting Cunningham up for more off-ball looks could maximize both players’ strengths while creating additional opportunities for Cade to score attacking closeouts when the defense isn’t already set. Reducing Ivey to an off-ball spot up shooter with inconsistent or nonexistent playing time zaps him of his strengths and makes his weaknesses more glaring, if this balance with Cade can’t be found as 2nd option, a new team with 5-out spacing could be the better path to maximize Ivey’s development.

Jalen Suggs

Offensive Role: Currently a Floor-Spacing Super Connector, now looking to be a full-time Guard Initiator

Offensive Strengths: Connective Passing, C&S and Pull-Up 3p% on medium volume, High Motor, Relocation awareness, rocket in transition off forced TOs, Consistent development and efficiency in Spot Up, Transition, Handoff, and ISO

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Floor General
Look for development as decision maker in Primary Initiator Playmaking, without forcing tough passes and inefficient shots

Secondary Skillset to Watch – PnR Operator, Pull-Up Shooter
See if 3pt consistency carries over from elite shooting season without regression, and decisionmaking initating PnR

Defensive Role: Primary POA

Defensive Strengths: Screen Navigation, Strong Lockdown Versatilty 1-4, Hustle play demon, forcing turnovers at POA, never giving up on a possession, competitive energy

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Timely Rotator
Check if closing out on Spot Ups and Pull-Ups

Secondary Skillset to Watch – Cut off Drives
Watch one-on-one defense in ISO and Postups to see engagement.

In actuality, Jalen Suggs has little to no holes on defense; he is an elite point of attack defender who hounds opponents every possession and is strong and quick enough to switch 1-4. The only real question this upcoming season will be how Suggs balances energy between his new offensive load as a primary initiator with his defensive responsibilities. If anything, the challenge for Suggs will be maintaining energy on both ends for the entire season, every game, finding a balance between going all out every play expending defensive energy with his expected increased playmaking load on offense. Ideally, adding KCP and retaining Gary Harris while adding playing time for Anthony Black will help handle some of the defensive asks so Suggs can maximize his point guard play.

Projection: With Markelle Fultz no longer on the roster and Cole Anthony established as the second unit point guard role, the starting point guard duties now fully fall on Jalen Suggs’ wide shoulders. The acquisition of KCP and retention of Gary Harris brings two players focused on D&3 playfinishing into the backcourt, so Suggs opportunity to initiate offense is as clear as its ever been.

While still likely playing as the third scoring option to Paolo and Franz, Suggs will have the opportunity to initiate more offense this season, where his high volume lead point guard playmaking decision-making will be put to the test: Can Jalen set up his big wing costars for easier scoring opportunities and find a balance for himself to score when its the right play, letting the defense dictate the best decision without forcing too much? Will Suggs have enough energy left in the tank to go from lead point guard decisionmaker to once again be arguably the most impactful point of attack guard defender in the league? Jalen’s proven his motor never turns off, his development as a passer shooter and decisionmaker improves each season, and he stays hungry for more.

Suggs could see similar impact to peak Marcus Smart, who also saw his 3P% drastically rise from his rookie season and brings strong versatile defense to the backcourt. All-Defense, general consistency as a halfcourt initator, and another year of shooting lights out from deep would be a win on its own. If Jalen answers all these questions this season the right way, maybe Magic fans will finally see glimpses of the Chauncey Billups super connector all-star player comp that followed Suggs in the pre-draft days.

Anthony Black

Offensive Role: Connector

Offensive Strengths: Spot Up, Off Ball Cuts/Transition, Putbacks, Finishing at the rim, Making team-first reads, Winning plays, Open C&S 3s

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Catch & Shoot, Floor General

While highly efficient on C&S attempts, Anthony Black generally looks to pass first or attack closeout with the drive. Seeing him be more aggressive as a scorer is something to keep an eye on, even though he already thrives in all Connector skillsets.
Similar to Suggs, seeing Black develop on-ball shot creation, creating looks for himself and others as the primary initiator, is something to look for in his development. Will we see higher volume and good efficiency in ISO, P&R Ball-Handler, Handoffs, Pull-Up Shooting, Floater, or will he stick to secondary off-ball actions like Cuts and low volume C&S? Opportunity with the team will be a big factor, as of preseason he will be a lead or secondary initiator coming off the bench.

Defensive Role: Wing Stopper

Defensive Strengths: Lockdown Switchability 1-4, Digs reaching for steals without fouling, closeout contests, defending P&RS both ball handlers and switching onto roll man, screen navigation against P&R/off screen plays

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Strong Frame

Let’s see Black’s develeopment in individual defense guarding ISO/Post-Up/Handoffs, if he’s added strength to bulk up.

Secondary Skillset to Watch – Walls off Drives
Does that strength help get more stops when players drive left or straight through at him?

Projection: Black is the likeliest of the Magic’s three youngest players to see consistent playing time, opportunity, and defined role this season because he brings two-way team-first impact on a team that’s always looking for that in its role players. With rising Stars in place in Paolo and Franz and defensive stalwarts anchoring first and second units in Suggs and Isaac, Orlando has much of its hustling brute force identity in place, needing floor-spacing connectors who can help get stops to flank these players.

While Anthony’s long-term potential development path could look like Derrick White as a connector and versatile dig-happy defender who wins 50/50 plays more often than a coin flip would suggest, this Magic team needs unselfish players with few holes to exploit, especially once the playoffs role around. Black is a natural connector who makes smart reads on both sides of the ball, uses graceful footwork and intriguing athleticism to force turnovers and eurostep through multiple defenders in transition, and does the basic role player things well with extreme effort and focus. Black can knock down the open C&S three, attack the closeout with the dribble, and make the extra pass for the better shot when it’s there.

Defensively his instincts are off the charts, timing up digs and deflections, rotating with mobility, knowing where be with ease and showing impressive defensive chops as a rookie getting stops against guards and wings, whether he himself is marked as a point guard or point forward ends up depending on the lineup he’s in, because he can shapeshift his role next to just about anyone as long as he’s not asked to initiate every shot from scratch.

Amen Thompson

Offensive Role: Forward Initiator

Offensive Strengths: Explosive North-South Driving Force of Nature with tight handles; smart connector playmaker; very good soft touch finisher; insane first step start stop body control speed; special spatial awareness of seeing where he wants to go and flawlessly executing the movements; advantage creator for himself and teammates; efficient offball playfinisher on Putbacks, Handoffs, P&R Roll-Man, Cuts;

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Skill to Watch – Pull-Up Shooter
Keep an eye on Amen’s Pull-Up and Spot-Up Shooting Development, as it will open up driving lanes for his powerful downhill force
Secondary Skills to Watch – Floor General
Already a smart drive and kick threat, making next level reads in P&R/ISO Playmaking and Shot Creation for Team is worth watching

Defensive Role: Wing Stopper

Defensive Strengths: incredible mobility, feel, and energy on both ends of the floor with side-to-side defense, impressive screen navigation, lockdown versatile wing defense; great guarding ISOs, Handoffs, Spotups, PostUps

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Skill to Watch – PnR Disruptor
How does he hold up when P&R Defense gets complicated? Guarding P&R including passes, when defense commits, switching or tagging the roll-man in P&R

Secondary Skill to Watch – Screen Navigator
Can he utilize his athletic gifts to improves defending Off Screens?

Projection:

In Houston, it’s going to be hard to keep Amen on the bench; the bouncy talent is that palpable. Adding Rookie Reed Sheppard‘s knockdown shooting to the mix with Alperen Sengun‘s playmaking hub down low, along with Tari Eason‘s explosive playfinishing and versatile defense, Jabari Smith‘s knockdown shooting and helpside shotblocking, and Cam Whitmore‘s downhill athleticism of his own, Amen could emerge as a primary perimeter option with his quick first step burst advantage creation penetrating the paint to bend the defense and create looks for others, while bringing an off-ball play-finishing element of his own.

A strong perimeter defender, a powerful downhill force, a smart playmaker, Amen Thompson’s physical measurables and dynamic two-way feel show potential that he could ideally star in the league one day in ways that Andre Iguadola found success as a big wing versatile defensive ace, point forward connector, and paint-penetrating poster-dunking runaway train.

Chet Holmgren

Offensive Role: Play Finisher

Offensive Strengths: Mismatch postup killer, high efficiency on high volume of Cuts, P&R Roll Man, Pick and Pop, Putbacks, good efficiency on low volume of P&R ball-handler, ISO, Postups, strong when driving right, good reads passing out of ISO/P&R, great finisher and runners at the rim, shoots well below 17ft, plays physical, good handles to grab and go off board

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Offensive Skillset to Watch – Catch & Shoot
Deep Range Jump Shot (Higher efficiency on C&S since given high volume of looks, off screen/handoff efficiency to build out versatility, cleaner pull-up jump shooting)

Secondary Skillset to Watch – Rim Finishing
Converting in Transition, Driving Left, Playmaking out of Post Ups, Bulk up Strength for Stronger Finishes at Rim

Defensive Role: Coverage Versatile

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Defensive Skillset to Watch – Switchable
Strength in Post Ups and defensive mobility in P&R and Closeouts; Okay closing out catch-and-shoot jumpers but Contesting Shots gets worse the farther away from the rim he is, needs to work on defending P&R ball-handlers as drop defender and switching, could improve mobility/footwork to help contest and drop back on closeouts and 2v1s

Projection: Become the ultimate #2 next to a superstar #1 option MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, ideally developing into an All-Star one-man defensive ace switchable rim-protector like Anthony Davis who is at his best impact offensively as a pick-and-pop play-finisher against mismatches rather than being asked to initiate everything from scratch. Chet’s role can alternate between play-finishing against starters alongside more proven creators in Shai and Jalen Williams while stepping into a primary scoring option role against second units at times with his co-stars on the bench.

Chet shot a respectable 37% on 4.3 3PA his first year and shoots well at the pinstripe for a rookie big at 79%, promising indicators for future shooting and scoring development. Building consistency in his release and jump shot mechanics could make him one of the more difficult stretch bigs to defend, because his bag in the midrange postups is already deep when attacking mismatches and closeouts.

Holmgren plays physical, hitting harder for rebounds and postups than his frame would suggest, generally hunting contact to wreak havoc in the paint. While already a superb shotblocker and respectable rebounder, finding the balance to contest opponents without reaching or fouling is the next step to consistently making winning plays. Using his huge length, great timing, and cerebral defensive instincts to keep his feet chopping and his arms straight up should be more than enough to make offensive players wary of challenging him in the paint.

The post Finding A Role – Season Kickoff appeared first on Swish Theory.

With Orlando down by 1 in the dying seconds, Suggs drove into the paint, embracing contact, hoping to finish over the top of Christian Wood. He missed. The Lakers hit two free throws to extend the lead to 3. On the final possession, Suggs corralled the offensive rebound after a missed attempt by Franz Wagner, hurried to the 3-point line, got a good look… and missed again. 

Suggs immediately buried his head in his jersey, irate at himself for the missed opportunities. He had finished the game with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal but none of that mattered because his team lost. 

“I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I’ve done it my whole life. I don’t hold anything back,” Suggs told me over the phone last week. “Tears flow because as a team, we worked hard. Everybody gave their all out there in an away environment where we had a chance to win it, so I just wanted to be there for my team.”

That isn’t just a one-off occurrence. If you turn on a Magic game at any point this season, you’ll quickly learn that Suggs is one of the most expressive players in the league. After every possession, every defensive stop, every loose ball recovered, and every shot made by his team, he is making his presence felt, screaming, yelling, and oftentimes cheering on his teammates. His competitive fire oozes out of him as if it can’t be contained in his body. 

“My competitiveness has been there since I’ve been a little kid. And I think it comes out in anything I do. Whether it’s on the court, off the court, watching more film than the next person, beating somebody to the gym, beating somebody to breakfast, it’s something I can carry over all the time,” said Suggs. 

Where that carryover is probably the most evident is on the defensive end. Suggs has become a full-time starter for the Magic in his 3rd season and, very quickly, has turned himself into one of the premiere guard defenders in the entire league. 

“I didn’t know I was gonna be a starter until the first game, to be honest,” Suggs said when I asked what the conversation was like with Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley about becoming a permanent starter. “I think at the end of the day defense is about heart, you know, and then how hard you want to play defense. Coach says it all the time, ‘You want to leave this game on your own terms’ and I really took that to heart.’”  

Heart is probably the best way to describe how Suggs plays on defense. Of the 23 starting lineups that have played over 80 minutes together this season, the Magic starters have the 4th best defensive rating, allowing just over 102 points per 100 possessions, and the 7th best net rating among those starting units. A big part of that is Suggs. 

He’s never one to give up on a defensive possession. He’s vocal as the weak-side help, guiding his teammates to the right spots and serving as a sort of anchor for the current #1 defense in the league. 

His quick feet make him a menace at the point-of-attack and his anticipation skills and awareness allow him to be one of the best help-side guards the NBA has to offer. 

As of the time of this writing, he is third in the league in steals per game averaging over 2 per night, a career-high. He’s 10th in the league in total deflections with 40, 5th in deflections per game, 3rd in total loose balls recovered and 1st in defensive loose balls recovered. 

For Orlando, he’s 1st in overall deflections and 2nd in the total amount of contested shots.

For those who like advanced metrics, Suggs was recently ranked the 3rd most impactful defender in the league according to Dunks & Threes EPM metric. 

Suggs is well on his way to a spot on an All-Defensive team this season. But what’s making him so effective on that end? 

The thing that pops the most when you watch him is his spatial awareness off the ball. He’s always on the balls of his feet, like a goalie in soccer preparing for a penalty kick – ready to pounce in either direction. His speed, anticipation, and hand-eye coordination are instinctual as if he was born to do exactly this. 

But there’s a reason for that. 

By now, most people know Sugg’s backstory. A star quarterback in high school who instead opted to play basketball rather than pursue a career in football. And while he’s not on the Gridiron, making plays, some of those requisite football-adjacent skills have lingered and even prospered on the court. It’s something he acknowledges too. 

“I think just acting instinctually. Defense, especially in football is so much just reading and reacting, if you second guess it, you’re going to be half a second late,” Suggs said when I asked him if there’s been a carry-over from one sport to the next. “It’s about being a ball hawk. And not only how hard you do it, but doing it intelligently. And that’s what we’ve been talking about a lot over here: I see everything but how can I anticipate?”

This is an area he’s made massive strides in. Suggs is a risk-taker, in the best way possible on defense. And while most of those risks have paid off this season due to his instinctual skills, he can sometimes be caught out of position or swipe at the ball one too many times to get a foul called on him. 

“I see what’s going on two, three steps ahead on that end, but how can I put myself in a position to not always go for it and just to be in solid positions, show my body maybe just force a tough shot, not give up a shot,” said Suggs who is averaging a career-low in foul rate this season. 

He still gets caught up at times, and he’s still learning when and where to utilize his hammer-like hands. Ultimately, opposing offenses should know that they can never turn their back on him or risk turning the ball over. 

It’s become somewhat cliche to talk about Sugg’s football skills and how they translate over to basketball – but it’s true.

“I really just kind of look at it as a safety in football, you know, being that line of protection for the team, being a communicator and I get to see everything on the floor,” said Suggs. 

I watched every single Magic game this season and I can tell you that the way Suggs describes his defensive acumen is unequivocally true. 

I was awe-struck by Suggs’s ability to telegraph passes, shut down plays, and just absolutely dominate as the weak-side help. 

Oftentimes, Suggs is the final line of resistance and oftentimes, he bails out this Magic defense with his incredible timing. 

With that being said, here is over 7 minutes of film to illustrate the point. 

There’s a joy to the way Suggs plays on defense. Off the ball, he’s a menace, but on the ball? He’s just an irritant. 

He picks up full-court on most possessions. He’s in your chest, pressuring the ball, knowing that one wrong move by you, the offensive player, and he’s going to take advantage. To him, it’s a game. 

“I think defense is fun to me. And I think that’s why I take so much pride in it. And, as you continue to grow, everyone works on offense. You rarely see people work on their defense,” Suggs said while detailing the off-season regiment that helps him work on the defensive side of the ball. He told me he’s usually in the film room, just watching hoops.

It’s paid off in a major way. Suggs has the playbook down on a lot of players in the league. He uses his quick feet to duck under and navigate around multiple screens. Those same quick feet help him slide with the faster guards in the league and his overall strength helps him guard up in position as well. On one possession he’s sliding with Jalen Green, on the other he’s in the post, ripping the ball away from OG Anunoby. The man is never a mismatch. 

Orlando is in the top half of the league in terms of opponent shots at the rim and in the paint. Suggs, along with the litany of defensive-minded guards on the team like Markelle Fultz, rookie Anthony Black, and Gary Harris simply do not let you enter the paint without any resistance. 

Don’t believe me? Here are 5+ minutes of Suggs making things tough on some of the best players in the league on the ball. 

They say that defense is 50% skill and 50% effort. If that’s the case, Suggs maxes out on both ends. He uses his tenacity and effort to enhance his skills on defense – and it’s ultimately been a massive reason why Orlando has propelled itself to the best defense in the league and the best start to a season for the franchise since 2011-2012. 

Suggs has taken his role as a full-time starter and ran with it. Using it to not only make an impact defensively but also become more adept as an offensive player, averaging a career-high in points, 3-point percentage, and rebounds. He’s using his defense to help propel the Magic’s transition game on offense. And it’s translating to wins for his team. 

“All the guys that have been in here with me from the staff meeting, Cory X, Nate Dogg, Coach Mosley, people who have invested a lot of time and energy into me. I want to repay them on that,” said Suggs. 

As far as his competitive fire? Well, that’s not going away anytime soon. 

“You either have that or you don’t. Competitive fire is not something that you can teach so just trying to continue to be myself with it, embrace it, and just continue to learn how I can apply it in different ways.”  

And as Suggs continues to evolve as a player, experimenting and fine-tuning his craft – expect him to continue wearing his heart on his sleeve – because that’s what makes him such an effective player.

All hustle. All heart. All Defense. 

The post Turning A Corner: Jalen Suggs Is Orlando’s Ultimate Defensive Weapon appeared first on Swish Theory.