OKC Head Coach Mark Daigneault praises Jalen Suggs' physicality
Before the Orlando Magic took on the Oklahoma City Thunder,, I asked OKC Head Coach Mark Daigneault how he can help free up MVP point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the marquee matchup with ace perimeter Magic defender Jalen Suggs.
Coach Daigneault noted that in this team sport, the gameplan won't come down to a one-on-one matchup, while also praising Jalen Suggs for his competitive, physical, disruptive nature:“Great competitor; he’s a player we have a lot of respect for.It does not ever come down to a one-on-one matchup, it just does not – especially for a player like Shai, or Banchero for that matter – you have to guard those guys with your whole team, and that is what Orlando will try to do and we will try to do every night.He is a disruptor, he is an irritant, he is relentless with his physicality and effort.So, we have got great respect for him. Happy he is healthy. He is a young guy that deserves to be healthy, he is going to have a great career. He is one of those guys you have to account for sure, but it is not a one-on-one matchup – we have to account for as a team, and they have to account for Shai as a team.Suggs and the rest of Orlando were not able to slow down SGA much in this game, as the MVP spent the night carving up the paint with stop-start accelerating burst, dynamic twisting drives and reverse layups, clean pull-up middys and threes throughout, finishing with a staggering 40 PTS on 63% TS%. Ironically enough, Shai's cousin and Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker lit up the Magic for 41 PTS on an even more staggering 82% TS% just the night before; at least Orlando helped the pair of cousins make a core family memory. Orlando will need Suggs back to his elite point-of-attack perimeter defender ways to be the best version of themselves come playoff time, but they could use some help on the injury report to ease up the load on a night-to-night basis for Jalen and other key players. Anthony Black has not yet returned to on-court action; while Franz Wagner has touched the court, he's still a ways away. How Orlando handles maintaining its energy on both sides of the floor with a shortened rotation through the last 20 games of the season to regain momentum heading into the playoffs is the next challenge at hand, as the Magic's schedule doesn't get much easier the rest of the way.Ryan is a basketball scout data analyst who has been covering the Orlando Magic, NBA, and NBA Draft with a focus on roster building strategy, data analytics, film breakdowns, and player development since 2017. He is credentialed media for the Orlando Magic along with top high schools in Central Florida where he scouts talent in marquee matchups at Montverde Academy, IMG Academy, Oak Ridge, and the NBPA Top-100 Camp. He generates basketball data visualizations, formerly with The BBall Index. He has two B.A.s from Florida State University in Business Management and Business Marketing. Twitter/YouTube/Substack: @BeyondTheRKPeter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today
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