Suggs’ work on finishing pays off

Orlando Magic rookie guard Jalen Suggs was limited in what he could work on while sidelined from December through mid-January with a fractured right thumb — his shooting hand.

Because of those limitations, he enrolled in school with assistant coach Nate Tibbetts and assistant video coordinator Randy Gregory — “finishing school” that is, according to Tibbetts.

With shots at the rim being the most efficient field-goal attempt in the league and young guards traditionally struggling in that area, Suggs and his coaches knew that’s where he needed improvements.

Suggs was shooting 35.5% on his 9.9 drives per game and making 51.7% of his shots within 5 feet of the basket before fracturing his thumb on Nov. 29. The 6 ½ weeks away allowed Suggs to develop.

“Not of a lot of other options because we couldn’t work on shooting because his right hand,” Tibbetts told the Orlando Sentinel. “It was mostly left-handed finishes for five weeks. The right hand’s going to become easier because that’s his dominant hand. The footwork, change of pace and burst he’s playing with, different angles he’s approaching the basket — those are things that were carried over. We’re trying to create new habits.

“Right away it was a little bit of a shock or a learning experience for him. He really bought into us — Randy and I — and what we were throwing at him.”

Suggs has already seen his work towards his finishing at the rim pay off since returning from injury by not only getting to the basket more frequently but scoring more efficiently, too.

He’s shot 48.4% from the field on his 11.5 drives per game and has made 63.9% of his attempts within 5 feet of the basket in his six games since Jan. 14, when he returned in a win over the Charlotte Hornets.

There wasn’t one glaring issue of Suggs’ finishing skillset that needed to improve. The focus was on making him a more versatile scorer when closer to the rim.

“Jalen’s a strong, football-built type guy, right? So one thing we tried to really challenge him with is having some fluidity, change of pace, change of direction and smoothness to his game,” Tibbetts

said to the Sentinel. “I don’t know if he’s had a lot of time to just have everything slow down and work on that type of stuff. I’ve been proud of the work he put in and it’s good to see it’s carrying over.”

Before the injury, Suggs often would lose his balance when looking to create contact with his shoulder on drives. The result, more often than not, would be inaccurate shots.

Suggs still will initiate contact with defenders using his shoulder but is more patient, explosive and makes sure his feet are better positioned before absorbing the contact.

“It’s a different type of creating contact,” Suggs said. “Now, it’s leading with the legs and getting the contact I want, dictating my space and timing when I get into the paint.”

Suggs and Gregory also focused on extending his arms on finishes over rim protectors and the right angles to put shots up off the backboard.

“Finding those spots on the backboard, hitting those spots, so when we’re going in there we’re not just hoping it goes in and putting the ball up on the rim,” Suggs said. “We’re aiming for specific points on the backboard and understanding if I put it here, that’s a bucket.”

Suggs still has tendencies that can improve.

He’ll contort his body on drives so he can get the shot up with his right hand instead of an easier, left-handed shot — the kinds of shots Tibbetts referred to as “a college finish” that “you can get away with it, but the elite-level guys are stepping into the defender and extending with that left. Over the course of time, the right play says use your left hand.”

But Suggs is further along as a finisher than he was at the beginning of the season and better understands the nuances of finishing at this level.

“Slither is a good word,” Tibbetts said. “His angles have improved. He’s got more to his game. With all the work he’s put in, there’s a certain level of confidence. Coming into this league as a 20-yearold, it’s tough. I believe he’s going to look back at those six weeks and be thankful he went through this in his rookie year because it gave him a chance to catch his breath.”