The injuries keep piling up for the Orlando Magic at the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. The latest Magic player to go down is sophomore guard Jalen Suggs, who is dealing with a high ankle sprain and will be out indefinitely.
Suggs got injured in the third quarter of a 108-98 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. It is unclear when he will return to action, with Magic saying this will depend “on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment.” The usual recovery time for a high ankle sprain is four to six weeks.
Suggs had a challenging rookie campaign that saw him average 11.8 points per game but shot 21.4% behind the three-point line and only 36.1% from the floor. The fifth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft showed improvement to start this season, averaging 12.0 points on 56.3 percent shooting.
The Magic, who started the season 0-2, already had a thin backcourt before Suggs got injured. Starting point guard Markelle Fultz hasn’t played at all this season while dealing with a big toe fracture, while veteran shooting guard Gary Harris is out indefinitely after having knee surgery in September.
In the absence of better options, the Magic will most likely turn to third-year guard Cole Anthony for playmaking. Anthony missed the season opener but then returned with a 25-point performance in the Hawks game.
