Magic rookie Jalen Suggs has picked up quite a few fans since arriving in Orlando, and that list includes teammate Cole Anthony as the second-year guard believes the two could be in store for a strong year.
The two players had the opportunity to play with each other during the Las Vegas Summer League and have spent time together recently in preparation for the upcoming season. They are now putting that work to the test as the team opened up training camp on Tuesday.
The Magic have spent the first two days of training camp going through two-a-days, giving Anthony a firsthand look at Suggs’ transition to the team. He is excited about the potential backcourt pairing with Suggs.
“Jalen can play, man,” Anthony said on Wednesday. “He can play. I’m super excited. I think that me and him in the backcourt can be a very, very scary sight. I’m super excited to really get out on the floor and I think it’s going to be a fun year.”
Orlando enters the season with seemingly a logjam in the backcourt.
In addition to Anthony and Suggs, the Magic also have Markelle Fultz, Michael Carter-Williams, R.J. Hampton, E’Twaun Moore and Terrence Ross. Fultz and Carter-Williams are dealing with injuries and will not be ready at the start of the season, which could make rotations clear — for now.
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley views his first training camp with the team as an opportunity to assess his roster and determine rotations and starting lineups later. The competition at the position should only ensure each player is bringing their best every day.
“You assess as you go along,” Mosley said. “You don’t want to put anything in a box right away. These guys, we have such versatility. We have such high basketball IQs with these guys that to just say you have to be this, it’s tough to do that. I prefer leave it kind of open and let these guys grow and build and become the best version of themselves.”
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Anthony and Suggs project to be the two starting guards for the Magic to open the season but that, of course, could change. The two players will have the opportunity to play extensively together to start and that should help them develop chemistry.
The Magic have an intriguing, young core to build around with Anthony and Suggs a large part of that. With some added development and improvement, the league may soon have to watch out for them.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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