Orlando Magic Pod SquadJalen Suggs on being the guy, how the injuries will make everyone better and the power of the Kia Center
Jalen Suggs joins Dante, George and Jake to discuss how his team has survived major injury issues and fought through to this point of the year, what being the top offensive option means to him while Franz and Paolo recover, what makes playing at home special and what his breathing technique at the free throw line has done for his game.
And welcome everyone to another edition of Orlando Magic Pod Squad. Dante Marcatelli, George Galante, Jake Chapman and kind enough to join us Jalen Suggs in studio. I'm excited about this, Jake, because every time I talk to Jalen, I learned something. I learned something. He's very cerebral. He gives me some insight. I learned nothing talking.
It's been that way first light. Likewise, it's a two way street. So I'm excited about this. Good to see you, Jie. How's everything going with you, especially around the holidays.
Yeah, I appreciate it as well as well. Happy to be home. Looking at the schedule of seeing nothing but ad Orlando, ad Orlando, a Orlando to finish out decembery is beautiful ten of family coming into town, really getting ready to sebary the holidays, you know, around loved ones, and yeah, looking forward to.
Okay, So I gotta ask you this.
We have We're the ones that have to do all the shopping. We gotta put the decorations up. What is your holiday routine? Do you have to put lights up? Do you buy the presence?
What's your routine?
Hey, guys, of reidents.
Now I'll tell you that I do buy the presidence now. Definitely last last Christmas, the first one I was like, okay, I'm no longer to get for sever I got a good giver, yes, but no, we just saw all the ladies be holding down. We all go over to my parents' house, have big Christmas over there, kids running around, jumping in the pool, adults chilling in the backyard and whatnot. So we always have pretty conceeduble with there.
That's funny you said that because when I when we were we've been on the road. It seems like since training came of you and my wife looked at me and she said, uh, I think we had the twelve hour window. She's like, we got to go get the tree like right now. I'm like, we're going to get it right now. All right, that seems but what what does it feel like? I mean, we talked about it on the way into the studio, knowing that the rest of the month we're going to be at the Kia Center where we've been pretty good and you don't have to get on an airplane for about two and a half weeks.
No, it's great, honestly not to discredit at all. But traveling is so tough. I think it's one of the hardest parts about the league, honestly. You know, adjusting to the lifestyle and basketball itself is difficult, but traveling and having to play a game and then take a flight you get in you know the wayever, you get into with a home or another c at two am. Now your routine is off. You kind of got to find a way, you know, to find some sleep, find some hours of rest, yet still be prepared or ready to go, you know by that next day. This never is never really is truly you know, a day off. You know you're all doing something. So just to be here, you know, have the comfort comfortability of being at home with your own car and your own bed or around your own people for the rest of the month is huge, especially in a time when peing fronds are still out, you know, getting ready to come back and doing their preparations. To have this time at home to really lock in and h and get ready for this strutch around, it's great.
What's the practice time going to be because obviously a lot of adjustments right now with the fronds of injury. What are like a week one game over over eight days getting the lab a little bit.
How power key is that going to be?
All right? It's important. Man used to be back in here and never to clean up some details. So much of it was just talking through things, watching film and trying to fix and correct things. There is different and we can get on the court and you get a feel for some of this stuff. Uh mess up, you know, coverage of something that we were going over in real time and then be able to talk about it, adjust it, uh, you know, and then apply it, you know, to how we want to move going forward. But this practice time is gonna be great, you know. I think we really take for the advantage of it. Come in, have fun and enjoy being home, really take the energy that it brings us and gives us. You know, it's gonna be a great end to the month and they'll go into a great Christmas.
Well.
It's interesting, guys, the last five games in the NBA, the leading scorer in the fourth quarter is this guy more fourth quarter points than anybody in the entire NBA the last five game. You did a research that pre dates a real count.
I bereae the later, so I made it up on the fly.
So if you have to fact check it. Nothing, it's true. I re second.
Second, second, No, it's true, it is true. I did fact check it. I did fact check it.
It is true.
Obviously, you know the last two games is a big part of that, and you didn't have fraud, so you had to step up. But this predates the fraud's injury. This goes back five games, and if you go back six games, you're just one point behind whoever's Firstly, that's why we started out five, but why we stopped at five?
Yeah, exactly.
But I gotta I gotta wonder, as an NBA player, does every You don't want anybody to be hurt. You don't never want a teammate to be hurt. But does every NBA player wonder if I have to be the guy, could I do it?
And you've done it?
Does that do you do?
You have that thought process and you've got to be oppressed with what you've done with Franz and Pollo both out.
Absolutely, He's in the back of everybody's not sure what I'm saying, even even guys who are playing. You know, when when fiend Franz and those guys are in, I know thoughts in that are going on in their head, you know, about how to approach and I knowing that right their work cload is going to be heavy, you know, things they need to do to not only play a great game, but to get a win at the end of the day. So yeah, it's natural. You know, I definitely had those thoughts. Uh, he used to be in that position a ton, you know what I'm saying, kind of before I got here. And then again, I really loved how the league humbled me, really brought me back down to earth, allowed me kind of regrow myself as a basketball player. I'm saying, I got into the pinnacle and I got to straight my game down, you know, really bebuible to back up for the per the player that I wanted to be, you know. And so it's really cool how it's all come together in perfect timing, not live timing with perfect time and uh you know, not to the point where getting in four quarters. I was just telling one to you earlier today. Uh, how it feels good, you know, getting that competitiveness backup, coming down the stretch, knowing that I'm going to have a ball, you know what I'm saying. It doesn't have to be the score, but just knowing that the ball is in my hands. See, not everybody wants that, guys, but you want that.
I love that.
You're you're not afraid of that.
You know that.
I think it brings the best, the best out of you, good and bad, you know, just regardless. It brings the best out of you when you're able to learn from me, take it and grow. And you know when they lead to wins, you know, like the Phoenix team. Uh, I don't think it gets much better than that. But the competitiveness is an all time high. You're able to close the game out, get a win, come back in and then cell the Bartied teammates. Uh. It's a really great feel that. So it's been. It felt good this bast couple of weeks.
I was I was going to ask you what your favorite memory of the season so far as I think you just answered it. But go back to when you said the game has humbled you and and you had to strip it down. You have to have people that are there to tell you because the three of us could tell you that's probably probably happened to ninety eight percent of the league. That's part of like becoming a pro, Like how who was there most for you when you were in that in that timeframe.
My mom and my dad were huge for me, honestly, especially when there are struggles going on. You know, I really was struggling navigating it, trying to find a way being able to go to them and just kind of release everything, you know, me my entire life. They knew exactly what was going on, you know, but it really took me going and opening up and asking for the help and then receiving the help, you know, to really start to take strides and realize the growth, because it really is hard. Man. Like, you come into the league and everybody who's gotten here has pretty much been the guy wherever they've come from, right you know, college maybe for the most part a lot of them, but definitely high school. You know, you're coming in and you're playing the minutes. You're the guy in school, you know what I'm saying. You're the one getting the looks in the shots. You have the ultimate green light. And playing basketball from that mindset, in my opinion, is so freeing and I think it brings the best out of anybody. If you give anybody in this league the green lights come in tomorrow night and say here's the ball, make things and make places happy for us. I think a lot of the guys can do it. And you look at Alfred Payton came back in, had a great game, twenty assists, almost a triple double, you know what I'm saying. But he had the ball the whole game, and he's able to feel the flow and playoff of guys and naturally fall into that stuff. So wow. But I think, you know, just again letting the game humble me and then being good enough and humble enough to then take the teaching that it was giving me, you know, and not try to fight it, you know, not say no, I am the guy. I'm not gonna go to the corner and I'm not going to stand and watch he's last two minutes to make defensive play as well. These are the two guys Franz Polo. Wherever's got a cold, Wherever's got to go in at the end of the night, you know, to let them take the reins and run off until the end of the game. So now it's been dope seeing it come full circle. Now it has really been cool.
Because that's important right too, Like you have to realize that, like yeah, okay, like I am quote unquote the man up until this point. Now there's four hundred and forty nine other areas man. So it's hard for some guys, and some guys don't get it, or some guys it takes you know, six years to get it, and by that time it may be too late. Like the fact that you're learned it pretty quickly, like that's a testament to you and everybody else.
How much you talk a lot about staying present. How much is sort of that mindset because it's really refreshing. It doesn't get any easier as you get older. There's distractions everywhere, right, especially with young people. These things are got our market. How much has it been Okay, I can't change last game, I can't change last play, next play mentality and just stay locked in in the moment.
How much set health here has been huge? I think you're getting basketball to become in the sport again, you know, not not so much of who I am, you know, kind of shipping that for my personality has been great, you know, along those lines, but just coming in and knowing that each game is its own. It has been really important for me in the past. You know, it's really hard for me to kind of separate and disassociate, you know, from bad games, bad possessions, bad halfs, you know, whatever the case may beat, you know, those things with link. You know, over time, I continue to affect you know, future play, my future interactions with people and things like that. But I think the more that I've come to really just be present, you know, take it a moment of play, half a quarter at a time. We kind of break the game down in segments. I'm able to move on from plays quicker than I was before, you know, when things don't linger, you know, where I can come out. And a tough night in Philly where I had to end the game, you know, and I really was disappointed in how I you know maneuver. Were don handled that a couple of shots. So we're come back the next night, you know, we're playing Phoenix at home. And now you're able to come back a positive things, you know that you learned from watching the last game and in a moment and then come back in the game be able to close the game. I'll get a good win. You know. That's a sign of growth in itself right there. And I think being present, being on my feet are there's been a huge part of that. You know what I'm saying, not letting past uh for previous things carry over into what I'm doing.
Just so go forg Phoenix Experiential, that Phoenix woll And that was that was that your was awesome.
Adult, This was this?
Yeah, I mean just La was great. The Phoenix La.
Was legendary, is a great man.
That was a great way.
And just so you know, don't beat yourself up because nobody ever leaves the game and says, boy, Jalen sucks, let us down.
The way you play it as hard as you play, that's what everybody takes away from it. You've had huge performances this year.
What would your.
Advice be to someone that is struggling to let go of those moments?
Right?
You have conversations with yourself throughout the game, reminders, what are you telling yourself to make sure you let go of a pass, play past quarter and come out and have these unbelievable finishes.
Then you've been having People have been making fun of me, man, But the free tho line has really up. The Ton's gonna ask you about that right right.
Free throw line and something at one point five percent. It's working. Whatever you're doing is not but they're going in.
Not only they're going in, but like just slowing down a bit every time I stepped in the line, you know, and telling myself have fun or relaxed. I'm on a heater, you know, stay hot. You already trying to breathe in good energy, you know, Tay, calm myself back down so that I can be president in that next possession. It's really hard, man, especially when you're high and got it going like. It doesn't always have to be bad, you know. Sometimes a couple of three, four, five good possessions can get you too hot. And I'm saying, now you come and try to make a hero play a home run shot, you know what I'm saying, throwing up when you could have just taken a swing. Let the action come and find you on the backside. Now you get a good look. So really, I think breathing has been huged for me, uh, and finding my breathwork talking to myself, you know, really just telling myself that it's okay, you know, speaking positivity U you know, into myself during the game when you know, for the most part, uh, you know, negative things are going on and negative things are being said, you know, it could be really easy to stick with those things. So I think the breath work to all the young ones out there and people hooping and struggling to find their way. You know, if you can breathe, you can regulate, your mind can regulate. You know, your breath, your heart and all that stuff will bring you back into SENTI you got to find that on your own.
Times.
We've caught the camera said, because we've caught, I don't know who it was. Somebody was giving you, oh crap, Well you're at the free throw and you said, what I can't breathe? We just said back, I said, whoever's talks to him better behooting better than ninety one percent of the free throw, like goes what he's doing.
It's working press right.
So the breath work is obviously a part of Arnie Candor's. I don't want to call it mistike because he has some already, but it's like a mistek, right, I mean, this is the type of things Arnie does. You've really gravitated towards everything, Arnie says. It seems like you're just like, I'm all in, what has Arnie meant to you? Since he's come and the things he's done to work with you specifically.
Ah, it's meant to turn. Honestly, me and Arnie's relationship is so special. It's dope. Waking up, especially on the road, waking up in the mornings in a hotel room, you kind of get a bit lethargic, especially the last year we were on you know, kind of some gray skies, cold weather. To go downstairs and have a good meal, get ready for practicing. You know, you get to fall into a deep conversation with Arnie. You know what I'm saying about life. Rarely do we talk about basketball, and it's always about life and what's going on. And it's great how we're feeling, you know, other than that, and I think I love I love that about him.
Have you have you seen what's inside Arnie's bag?
That? Yeah, it's a sting.
It's a very Sometimes I'll say Joel's Joel Glass are chief communications officer. His shoulder was bothered on the other day. He just opens up, he had the bag on him because he always has the bat always allways opens it up and just goes here, just take this, and Joel's like, well what is that? He goes, no, no, no, don't worry about it, just tape it where he's like, well, baseball's right, So this is the Oh yeah, I'm waiting for mcclap his hands and then just put his hand on it him there heels your heels.
Well, it works. You have a better relationship. He just tells me at breakfast to lay off the bacon. A little less bacon for you would be good. That's good. But it seems to be a great group and it's a fun group.
And I want to get your thoughts on this because you've made so many big plays. You've made, You've hit so many big shots this year. But I want to ask you about some of your teammates because you're always the first one to deflect. So as you think about these three, right, if this was other podcasts that off rankings and cards and all that, but ours doesn't get that cut. So I'm just gonna ask you the card right out right off the top, right off the top right top of your head, your past to goga batase the goga bataz donk on yours? Okay, So with that one, you have the Franz three in l A. Kole Anthony's chase down block on Devin Booker on Devin Booker in feet got a range would you have?
You have a ton of those chase down blocks.
But if you had to rank those three, how would you rank those three?
I think I'd put I'd put Fonz's three to one. Uh. That daggering to bron and a D on the Lakers logo in crypto is one of the most legendary breeze I ever seen. That was pretty great. With all the thirty five fees that was that was so nasty. So he gotta go on for sure, Goga two. I wanted to react so bad in the game. That's kind of a long stretch, weird man. So I didn't have a yell. I just had a oh my goodness, that's Goga number two. And then close chase type chase down block. Not to discredit or anything, because that was an amazing play, but I'll put that in there. That's awesome.
That's that's I think that's the same. I think it ended up in a bucket.
It did ended up in the end.
Three we lost the point whole.
You know, someone told us in Brooklyn we were playing.
We talked to the broadcasting They described Goga as a guy that looks like he's playing with it while he's wearing a disguise.
Is that master with the hair and the beard. It looks like it looks like you've played with the disguise. How great has he bet? Oh, he's been amazing. He's actually been so amazing. Uh. And he's coming to every game. It really sets a tone defensively that that really we all feed off of. That I feed off of honestly, because he comes in, he's crashing the glass. He's going to get everything. Then you come down and even if you get a loan by you know, mistake, good move, whatever the case may be, you know you got go go behind you, you know his hands that it really gives you the freedom, you know, to get up there and guard and really be aggressive in some of these actions knowing that he's behind us and you know, and then we can fly around and rotate out of their but uh, and he's been so selfless man because our first when we first he first started getting into rotation, it wasn't really scoring that much, you know what I'm saying, It wouldn't getting many looks like that. You know, he's found a way to go to the offensive glass, you know, to find his buckets, you know, and then he's fell into a couple of rows, a couple of pockets. I'm trying to get him to start suiting the three. That would be the last thing done right. It's for both and then we get go, go go fully at least form.
Go watch watch that movie. So Georgia reeves. Georgia the.
Coach Mosy always talks about challenges being opportunities. Whendell's got the foot, Govia slides into the starting lineup. Windell comes back. Now they're starting together. Paula goes down, Frond sizing to the primary.
Now he's down. Now you're sliding into the primary spot. Long term, when everybody's back, you guys are gonna be better for this.
It's difficult probably to focus on that right now when you got a game coming up on Sunday.
But get in the back of your head, right like, come March.
If we have everybody together, this thing could look pretty special.
No, absolutely, absolutely, it's really fair weird. I don't even remember playing these games. Go by so quicking your place on me. I don't remember playing with some of the guys, to be honest, with such a rhythm.
Right now, he's very present that's a realt part.
But nay, they've been so engaged. Uh you know when they were all out and when that was out, he was still very much engaged in conversation, you know, with all of us talking to the bigs, really interested in learning, so that when he got back he could find a way not to get his not to get back to his form, but his thing was to fit the team. I want to come back. I want to be able to flow with y'all. And naturally I'm saying he's come in, he put the work in. Now he's playing, and we're to play with two bigs, you know, which we couldn't do last year. We were playing with him both in the lineup fluently and get to actions, play fast and kind of get some good offense going, which I think is a testament you know now too with the coaches that put together uh you know, offensively for us, but on us in the players for executing, you know, for being open and willing you know, different lineups, different matchups, you know, to come out and just play basketball, play the right brand of right brand of hoo. So a lot of credit goes to him, but I think when we get everybody back, man, it's going to bed because we've all really gotten the opportunity to gain confidence in game momentum. You know, these last couple of weeks. You know, with those guys going out, your hearts are with them. But and it's not even selfishly, but your mindset has to be here's an opportunity not only for me, but for us, you know, to grow, get better, step into new roles and different things so that guys come back. You know, say we get to the playoff game and you know they're doublin fronts every Dublin and Polo Eavy. You know, I'm comfortable coming off picking Roy ab is comfortable and being the lead ball handler, you know, letting other guys come up with pinn downs and screens and get into their spots and whatnow. So I think in the short term it is tough. We're going to continue to finding ways to fight you win games. But when you look in long term, you know where you want to play for April May in playoff series. This is going to set us up, I think for really good things.
What what has been inside you guys when you get to the Kiya Center. There's something different about this team, not that we don't play hard on the road, because we do. We're we're a bunch of dogs on the road. But when we set foot inside Kia Center, what what is it like? What is there something that you can feel that's different or is it just being comfortable? Like there's got to be something that is triggering this.
It's always been dope playing here, but I feel like last year really set like set like a new tone for what we're gonna do here, you know what I'm saying. We spoke about winning at home early and that's something that we really wanted to hold our hats on, and we did it early. You know, it was dope, and we get to the playoffs and that for me took it to another level. I've never seen that building like that. We've had some lit knights in there, yeah, but last year in the playoffs, like the momentum and the energy, seriously that that the crowd was giving off, it was insane. It was insane because you're going on the runs, you could they could be on an eight or run and you get one bucket. It feels like you're up. You're up in the game, honestly, So I think we just really carried that into this year and now I think the kid got some of a swagger about it. Like every fan that steps into Kia like has a belief in to understand that we're gonna win this game. Even when we've been down a couple of times. At home, the Phoenix, we make two buckets, you know, the crowd is lit really back into the game, helping us beat into another run. So I think it's really cool that not only we are getting the swag at home, like we're not losing in this building, but the fans who also you know what I'm saying, we're able to bounce off of each other and make things happen to where we're, you know, only undefeated team and they're still right.
What's that been like for you? You like, like for like guys like you and Franz. I wouldn't say Powell only because Powell only had but one year, so you know the guys that were here three years ago, four years ago, five years ago or where maybe that wasn't the case here and you know we it would be guys like me would tell you, like, hey, listen, like when we're good, this place can get wild. And everybody kind of looks at me like yeah, okay, like right, but now everybody's is it different for you guys that have seen the other side of the building and now to see what it's like now.
No, absolutely, And you did say a lot of people that was saying, you know, is waiting for waiting for the squad to kind of you know, bring some life back to the city, you know. And that was my my favorite part about it was now waiting for you guys to get good, you know, so we can come watch games and you know, cheer and support, but waiting to bring life back to the city that the people were waiting on it. You know, the energy is being built up over time. And I mean a guy here you know that again going back to it, just because the most recent but the game, the Phoenix game, there'd have been more Kadie and both jerseys in there. You know what I'm saying, right, he had right, I've done. So the air runs shruggy. You're hearing cheers, and you know who's and odes on their buckets. Now they don't get know who's in ods. We could get a wide open layup. You know, you're getting full cheers. You know these guys are getting tough buckets. You don't gotta get back on defense, you know, and that's that's a part of the game. Like all of that plays a factor, you know, even though it's small, it seems minute. It's not even anything physical that I know nobody on the court is doing. But that plays the factor, you know, in the games when you're getting tough buckets and you're getting no reaction out of it other than your own internal you know, confidence and motivation going up like that's tough and that makes a tough environment to play. And so now it's been dope, man, seeing seeing how it's shifted, you know, and the energy and the culture, uh, the belief and the love. It's been so cool. You've got everyone in Central Florida praying for your Obliques.
By the way, everything hit, it's such to Florida because making sure nothing happens to your grief.
By the way, can we protect this man?
Even what an O bleak was a month ago, I tell a month ago thirty reps on that.
I just make sure make sure that thing is okay.
It's something out of that bag for the Obliques.
Take all Obliques at all times, at all costs.
Yes, it's not a spell, and it's oblik Ago got you in there.
But I think and this is though, this is what will end on Jaalen, because I think this is this is what's I think very important to you, and I think it's important everyone at such there's been a hand everybody Magic fans love everyone that comes through these doors. But there have been a few that have really connected with fans. And there is no fan that you talk to that doesn't have a giant smile on their face when they talk about this man or leaving a game man, Jalen Suggs Jalen's the connection that you have with fans is unbelievable. But the fact that everybody has a smile when they think of your name has got to mean a lot to No.
It means a ton. It means a ton. Honestly, I've always loved interacting with crowds, money, interacting my people, you know, especially I mean, I super dope, uh you know, because I understood and I knew everybody you know that I was seeing at the game, sure you know, And that's a that's a big part right now during the national anthem, you know, I do the same thing. I always look up and down the crowd. I love to see the faces that come into the building. You know. I love to see the faces of the people who are cheering us on or giving us support and helping us wing games. Honestly, you know, I see the guys every day. We spend enough time on each other. I want to get to know some of the people who are you know, really supporting us. You know, and you could do a lot of great things, as you could have the best team ever, you know, but if you have an arena full of people who have no interest you know, and cheering for you, have no reason to cheer for you and love you, you know, and you really can't expect that out of them. So really just trying to reciprocate, man and give you know, to the people in this city, because they've done so much for me.
Uh.
They didn't have to stand by me, you know. They could have said a lot of negative things, they could have done me to the side, you know, because of play and performance and all that understandable, Uh, you know, but everybody stood by me. Everybody is stood by us, you know throughout this whole process rebuild whatever you want to call it. Uh, you know, everybody has been there and now you're a seat to love being shown and we can enjoy it together and all of us can enjoy Magic Wings because it's something that we've all played a part in. So uh no, it's really cool, man. I really connected with this city, you know, not only through through the magic and the play, but through the AU program and Jay Sissons and everything that we're doing in the city of the baseball team. It's really helping me connect and really grow with this city. As the city continues to grow, you know, a building across the street which is gonna get amazing, right. Uh So, really is just excited about the future, you know, not only with the squad and for me and for the team, but everybody in the city and for the city. And I think it's really gonna be cool.
You know.
Has to keep growing this thing. Uh you know, I told you from the gate go, I want to see a parade come down. We want that too, for it. Every everybody wants that, so the dice and I can see it. So really just working for that and continuing to grow and and be a part of the people.
You know who was accepted me here and for so well said man, I think I'm at a crotic that's that's why.
That's why fans loved this guy. That's why fans loved this. Love for clamp though.
Over here, I love what the timeout happens, and they're looking for Jalen and these high five court side fans still.
Over to the other end.
We're all at the time out right, brother, Hell's Jalen always on the other base loss and high five and the guy in the fourth throw you know what.
They're fine, We'll wait, We'll wait. That's absolutely fine. This is great. This has been an awesome year.
Keep it going, and I can't wait to see what happens what everyone's fully healthy. But I'm enjoying the heck out of what you're doing right now. I think this is really cool to fall in your hands and uh go beat the knicks. That's always fun in this building. And have a great rest. All right, we do Oh yes, we do it. We said it after practice.
That's right.
I like it.
I'll do it for this edition to Magic Pot Squad. See you next time. Kill it.
