The Orlando Magic cannot seem to catch a break with injuries right now. Despite a solid 15–11 start to the season, the franchise has already lost star forward Franz Wagner to an ankle sprain and has now suffered another setback.

“Jalen Suggs diagnosed with hip contusion; without timetable for return,” Underdog NBA reported.

This is a significant blow for the Magic, who are hoping to be one of the top teams from the Eastern Conference this season. More so, because of just how important a role Jalen Suggs has played for his team this season. The key questions now are how Suggs suffered the injury and how long it could sideline him.

What exactly is Jalen Suggs’ injury?

Well, as mentioned earlier, Jalen Suggs has suffered a hip contusion. However, when did he sustain this injury? It occurred during the Orlando Magic’s semi-final clash with the New York Knicks on Saturday. Although the exact moment when the fifth-year guard suffered this injury is hard to pinpoint, he was seen playing through visible pain during the third quarter.

After which, he exited the game and did not return again, which was a huge bummer for Orlando. That’s because the Magic went on to lose their semi-final clash against the Knicks 132-120. However, things could’ve looked a lot different had Suggs played throughout the entire game. More so, because he scored 25 points in the first half alone, but it seems it wasn’t meant to be for him or Orlando.

What has the Magic revealed about Jalen Suggs’ injury?

“We’re going to look at it when we get back,” Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley said after the NBA Cup semi-final clash about Jalen Suggs’ injury. “At the end of the day, he’s a warrior for being out there and dealing with what he’s dealing with. I think we’ll evaluate him when we get back home and see where he is with it.”

He suggested that the real evaluation of the damage could be done once the Magic returned to Orlando on Sunday. However, even now, not much detail about the 24-year-old guard’s injury has been revealed by the franchise apart from the fact that he’s suffered a hip contusion. This makes you wonder when Suggs will return to the court.

When will Jalen Suggs return?

Even though the timeline for the Orlando Magic star is still not clear, he could be on the sidelines for a significant amount of time. That’s because, according to several sources, a hip contusion could take anywhere from one week to six weeks to fully recover from with good medical care and a structured rehab schedule.

Now, there’s no telling whether the injury that Suggs has suffered is a light, mild, or severe one. Still, even if we assume that he’s suffered a mild contusion, the Orlando guard will at least miss a couple of weeks of action, which isn’t ideal but something that the franchise will have to deal with either way now.

And if by any chance that’s the case, then we can expect Jalen Suggs to return around the New Year’s mark. This means he can get back on the floor for the Magic’s clash against Toronto or Indiana. However, this assumes that he has not suffered a severe hip contusion. So, take it with a grain of salt, at least until the franchise says otherwise.

How will the Magic manage Jalen Suggs’ absence?

While Jalen Suggs’ absence isn’t the best of news for the Orlando Magic, still, it’s something they’ll have to take on their chins and move on. But how? Well, they are already missing one of their starters now that the number has gone up to two. However, thanks to Orlando’s solid depth, things might run smoothly for them until their starting point guard returns.

That’s because they have talented backup guards such as Anthony Black and Tyus Jones on their roster. This season, Black has been quite impressive. The 21-year-old has been averaging 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, which is pretty solid for a youngster like him. Now, that’s not as good as Suggs’, who was averaging 15.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists before his injury, but it’s still good enough.

So, here’s how the Orlando Magic could lineup in Jalen Suggs’ absence:

It seems like a pretty strong starting lineup despite the team missing two of its most important players– Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. However, will they be able to stay afloat until these two guys return to the court? That’ll be something worth watching in the coming weeks as we await more updates on Suggs’ injury.