Magic SG Jalen Suggs: Next Derrick White?

After a breakout season, did Jalen Suggs prove he can be an All-Star caliber guard for the Orlando Magic similar to Boston Celtics veteran Derrick White?

Dec 15, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) shoots the ball / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The key to winning in the NBA Playoffs is trusting in one another and not relying on one guy to always carry the scoring load. Unfortunately, the young Orlando Magic learned that lesson the hard way, as Paolo Banchero’s heroics weren't enough to advance the team beyond the first round. 

Orlando may have a player with All-Star potential, a game-changer who could elevate the Magic from being young and scrappy to being dominant like the Boston Celtics. This player is Jalen Suggs, who is already performing at a rate similar to that of Boston guard Derrick White, hinting at the transformative impact he could have on the team.

Orlando’s duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have garnered a lot of comparisons to the Celtics one-two punch, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, based on potential, but Suggs’ numbers reflect that of White, Boston’s fringe All-Star.

Entering the 2023-24 season, many, myself included, thought that it was time for the Magic to move on from Suggs. However, the former top-five pick finally showcased some of the potential that many believed in back in 2021 when he was coming out of Gonzaga. The numbers are eerily similar to White’s, indicating a significant improvement in his performance and career prospects.

Last year, White was named a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team, an honor that Suggs is expected to receive this season. Suggs has always been a strong defender, but his offensive improvement in 2023 made him finish No. 8 in the Most Improved Player Award voting. 

Playing 27 minutes per game this season at 22 years old, Suggs averaged 12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting roughly 47 percent from the field and 40 percent from three as one of the league's top three and D players. 

After some heroics last season against the Miami Heat in the playoffs, this season, White was nearly named an All-Star. In the 2022-23 season, White averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting roughly 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three. While those numbers are similar to Suggs, that season came when White was 28, putting Suggs six years ahead of his career trajectory. 

Banchero and Wagner are a great duo, but Suggs deserves his flowers as an equally important piece of Orlando’s core and potential Big Three. If Suggs can continue to shoulder a heavier scoring load, then perhaps next offseason, he can be someone who is an elite defender and can be relied upon for 20 or so points with regularity like White and help the Magic contend for a championship.

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