Magic officially get starter back ahead of opener

Mosley confirmed this week that the 6-foot-4 guard had been participating in full 5-on-5 drills with full contact. He missed each of the Magic's four preseason games.

What will Jalen Suggs' role look like?

It remains to be seen whether or not Suggs, 24, will start in Wednesday's opener.

Suggs was limited to just 35 games (all starts) last season, averaging a career-high 16.2 points with 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 28.6 minutes per game. Regardless if he starts, it's safe to assume that Suggs will be on a minutes restriction with this being his first live action in nearly eight months.

Nevertheless, his return should be a big boost to the Magic backcourt. He's the Magic's top point-of-attack defender. He made second-team All-Defense and finished in the top-10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2023-24. When he's healthy, the former No. 5 overall pick is a load to deal with.

He's also shown flashes as a 3-point shooter over his four-year career, knocking down 39.7 percent of his long-range attempts two seasons ago (before it sank to 31.4 percent last year). If he can hit threes at an efficiency closer to the former, the Magic should be in good shape.

Suggs' energy, regardless of who he shares the floor with, is infectious. It will be interesting to see how much of a leash Anthony Black and Jase Richardson -- as well as veteran guard Tyus Jones -- will have with Suggs back. Mosley will likely experiment with multiple different lineup combinations, so what happens on Wednesday may not be indicative of how the picture ultimately unfolds.

The Magic and Heat will tip-off at 7 p.m. EST inside Kia Center.

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