Jalen Suggs addressed the media on Saturday for the first time since the Orlando Magic ruled him out indefinitely due to a trochlea injury in his left knee . The diagnosis, confirmed after further evaluation and an MRI, came on Friday, adding another setback to what has already been a challenging season for the 23-year-old guard.

Despite the injury news, Suggs remains optimistic about his recovery and the Magic’s playoff aspirations.

“All the work that I’ve been putting in for the past month has been meticulous, rehab based, strengthen everything up and really resetting my body,” Suggs said. “You know I was charging up first stretch around… it’s no different now. I get to charge up not [just] for a stretch run [but] the playoffs which was the ultimate goal anyways.”

Suggs, who was an integral part of Orlando’s postseason push last year, reflected on the emotions stemming from the team’s playoff exit.

“Coming off of last year, holding a lot of pain, sadness – that playoff loss brought a lot of feelings out that I hadn’t felt in a while and they have stuck since then… since that May 5 day when the season ended,” he said.

Magic face uncertainty with Jalen Suggs’ injury amid playoff push

Suggs has been sidelined since January 25, missing 14 consecutive games, including Orlando’s 121-115 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. His injury originally was ruled as a left quad contusion before further testing revealed the trochlea issue in his knee.

Overall, Suggs has now missed 24 of the Magic’s last 25 games. Orlando has struggled without him, going 9-17 in his absence, and currently sits at 29-32 as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.

Before the injury, Suggs was in the midst of a career-best season. The 2024 NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection was averaging a career-high 16.2 points, four rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 41% from the field across 35 contests. His defensive intensity and two-way impact had played a significant role in Orlando’s early success.

With Suggs’ return timeline still unclear, the Magic will need to continue adjusting in his absence. Orlando is currently in the middle of a seven-game homestand, with back-to-back matchups against the Toronto Raptors (18-41) set for Sunday and Tuesday night.

Though the injury is a setback, Suggs remains motivated to return when it matters most.

“I think that’s been a lot of the catalysts for just pushing through some of these things is helping me see the bigger picture, knowing what I’m working for and being okay putting that work in,” he said.