The Orlando Magic’s drive for a playoff berth may not include Jalen Suggs. The fourth-year guard is out indefinitely with a trochlea injury in his left knee, the team announced on Friday.
Suggs, 23, had worked his way back from a back injury but injured his left thigh in his first game back on Jan. 25 versus the Detroit Pistons. Working through basketball activities in anticipation of his return, Suggs felt discomfort in the knee, leading to further evaluation and imaging, according to the Magic.
The trochlea is a groove where the kneecap sits at the lower end of the femur. An injury to the trochlea can result in pain, instability and other issues in the knee, according to knee specialist and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert LaPrade.
Among the treatment options for the injury are rest, physical therapy and arthroscopic surgery, all of which the Magic will consider as Suggs attempts to return. The team expects him to make a full recovery.
Orlando’s once-promising season has been undercut by injuries to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner. Banchero and Franz Wagner have since returned from their respective oblique injuries, but Moritz Wagner is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Suggs has been limited to 35 games and is averaging 16.2 points, 4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting 31% on 3-pointers. In his four NBA seasons, he has averaged 12.3 points and 3.3 assists with a 33% touch on 3s. Suggs was the Magic’s 2021 first-round pick (No. 5 overall) out of Gonzaga.
The Magic have lost three of four games and five of their past 10. At 29-32, they currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference standings. Orlando is off until Sunday, when it hosts the Toronto Raptors (18-41).
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