Magic rookie Jalen Suggs hopes to shake off rough start in season opener

Jalen Suggs tried to downplay the immensity of his first NBA start against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, but there was no denying it meant a lot to the Orlando Magic rookie guard.

“It wasn’t the same as every game,” said Suggs. “There were nerves and there were butterflies but, in a sense, it was just a basketball game.”

He’ll get a second chance Friday, when the Magic (0-1) will open at home vs. the New York Knicks (1-0) at the Amway Center with tipoff set for 7 p.m.

It was an odd start for the 20-year-old Suggs, who wasn’t scheduled to start after battling a stomach virus last week but was suddenly called into action when veteran guard Gary Harris went down with tightness in his right hamstring during warmups. Franz Wagner, the Magic’s other first-round pick, joined Suggs in the starting lineup.

Suggs’ first NBA game, however, may not be one for the scrapbook with the 6-foot-5 guard shooting 3 of 14 (21%) from the field for 10 points in 30 minutes in the 123-97 loss to the Spurs. He also added a rebound, an assist and a steal as well as a tying a team-high with 3 turnovers.

“I got to spots and sometimes the ball just doesn’t fall,” said Suggs. “That’s OK. It’s a learning process for all of us and we have to get better continuity as a team, myself included on the offense end and the defensive end when they got out and ran, they got easy buckets.”

Wendell Carter Jr., who finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds, wasn’t going to let his teammate shoulder the burden of a rough night.

“I told him it’s the first one and we’ve got 81 more to go,” said Carter. “I told him not to think too much about it. Do not get too down on yourself about the first game. It’s your first game in the NBA, one of the best leagues in the world,. You’re here, and I told him to learn from this game.

“We can’t hang our heads and allow it to affect our next game. Look as the next game as the next opportunity to get better.”

Suggs struggled during the preseason, shooting 6 of 22 (27%) from the field while averaging 5 points per game in three appearances. But Suggs, who was a 50% shooter during his college career at Gonzaga, wasn’t going to let his slow start get to him.

“The best part about this league is you got another one coming next night or the night after that,” added Suggs.

Overall, first-year coach Jamahl Mosley was pleased with his rookie point guard.

“As the game went on, I pulled him to the sideline and we talked a little bit about understanding the flow of the game,” Mosley said. “He did a really good job of understanding and talking about some of the offense, some things we could see defensively, and some of the things they were doing. But his basketball mind and his IQ, it’s going to continue to slow down for him.”

Suggs said that conversation with his coach was all about controlling what he could control on the court.

“It got loud and things sped up a little bit and our offense got harder and their offense got easier,” said Suggs. “Those are the moments you’ve got to slow everything down and get a good look.”

The Spurs forced 16 turnovers and converted them into 21 points.

While his performance might not have been the result he was looking for, Suggs sees it as a good first step.

“It wasn’t the perfect happy ending but all stories don’t end like that and this story’s just beginning,” he said.

Next game

The Magic (0-1) return home to host the New York Knicks (1-0) Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Amway Center.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.