The Orlando Magic’s duo of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jalen Suggs will terrorize opposing guards next season, according to their teammate Wendell Carter Jr.
During an interview following Friday’s practice, Carter Jr. was asked how he was impressed by his new starting backcourt from a defensive standpoint.
The Magic center responded with a stern warning to guards on the 29 other teams.
“I feel sorry for any 1s and 2s they are going against those two this year, Carter said. “Those guys are so locked in on the defensive end. They are gonna challenge you. Whether they are fresh. Whether they are tired, they take a lot of pride on the defense, which is rare to find in this league.
“Just what I say, I just feel sorry for 1s and 2s throughout the league who got to deal with that night in and night out,” Carter Jr. added.
I asked #Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. what has stood out to him on defense about the duo of Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope:
“I feel sorry for any 1s and 2s they’re going against,” Carter said. “Those guys are so locked in on the defensive end.”
Full remarks: pic.twitter.com/loZrayapnD
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) October 3, 2024
Magic New Defensive Backcourt
While Orlando prioritizes internal development and chemistry building among their core players, the Magic front office still brought in Caldwell-Pope (3-year, $66 to shore up their shooting and perimeter defense while contributing to the winning culture they are trying to build.
After playing as the 3-and-D for the championship teams in Los Angeles and Denver, Caldwell-Pope will step into a mentor role for the Magic’s young player, though he’s still capable of providing elite perimeter defense and three-point shooting that the Magic direly lacked last season.
New Magic G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told reporters today that appreciates the change of scenery Orlando offers him, and is eager to get started.
“It’s always good to have something new in your life … Just being here, I’m as excited as I can be.”
(Video from @Magic_PR) pic.twitter.com/MBmUrApUwc
— Luke Scotchie (@lscotchie34) October 1, 2024
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Suggs is expected to play a much heavier role now with the departure of Markelle Fultz.
Suggs has always been a solid defensive player since his college days at Gonzaga, but he has gotten a lot better with his craft over the past years and he has established a reputation for being one of the peskiest defenders in the league.
Suggs, who averaged a career-high 1.4 steals and a defensive ration of 110, earned an All-Defensive Second Team selection for his outstanding defensive showing last season.
The next step for Suggs to become a impactful player for the Magic is to improve his guard play and three-point shooting. He bumped up his three-point shooting percentage to a career-high 39.7 percent last season, though his assists average continued to dip from 4.4 assists per game in his rookie year to 2.7 apg in his third year.
After making the playoffs last season where they took the Cleveland Cavaliers to the limit in their seven-game first-round series, the Magic has set the bar higher for this coming season as they plan to contend with the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, and the defending champion Boston Celtics for superiority in the Eastern Conference.
Jalen Suggs shared a lengthy but candid answer when I asked him what he worked on this summer and what improvement looks like for himself:
“For me, a big thing for my growth this summer was mind, body and spirit — growing myself as a basketball player always.”
Full remarks: pic.twitter.com/YzCmXwkj8O
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) September 30, 2024
Apart from Paolo Banchero’s seemingly inevitable leap to superstardom, the Magic’s success this season will also depend on how Caldwell-Pope and Suggs perform in the backcourt.