It has been two long years since Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has played in an NBA game. Tuesday marks a big step in Isaac’s rehab process, being sent to the Magic’s G-League affiliate for more practice reps. Since it has been a while since we have seen him, now is the time to reintroduce ourselves to Jonathan Isaac and his place in Orlando.
Jonathan Isaac played 5 on 5 with the Lakeland Magic today — his first time playing 5s during his rehab process fully against other basketball players.
Mentioned he played about a quarter.
On how he felt: pic.twitter.com/9rRBVnfuVe
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) December 6, 2022
Jonathan Isaac on the Court
Isaac was drafted sixth overall in the 2017 Draft after one year at Florida State. Coming out of college, Isaac was praised for his quickness and fluidity for a 6’11 wing with room to grow on both ends of the court. However, he needed time to grow due to his age and his raw skill set offensively.
Isaac had a rough rookie season, playing only 27 games and logging a -8.6 net rating. However, over the next two seasons, he began showing promise. In 2019, he played 75 games and averaged 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in over 26 minutes per game. He also showed a lot of promise on the defensive end, posting a 101.8 in his first year. He followed with a 107.3 defensive rating in his sophomore season. His offensive efficiency also crept up, going from 46.5% true shooting to 53.7% in 2019.
Isaac’s third season proved to be his most tantalizing. His offense continued to grow, as he moved to average 11.9 points and 6.8 boards in 28.8 minutes a game. He allowed averaged a career-best 47% field goal percentage, with 50% of his points coming in the paint. His defensive rating continued to stay low as well, with a 105.7 rating in 2020.
However, staying healthy has been a big issue for Jonathan Isaac. The 2018-19 season is the only relatively healthy season he has had so far, He missed significant time in his rookie season dealing with different foot and ankle ailments. In 2020, he dealt with a knee injury that kept him out from January 2020 through the suspension of the season. After coming back for the NBA bubble that summer, he tore his ACL in August, and he has not played since.
The Orlando Magic Then and Now
Because Jonathan Isaac has not played in years, the Magic look far different now. When Isaac got hurt, the Magic were a team trying to compete with a core of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, and Terrence Ross. However, in 2022, Ross, Isaac, and Markelle Fultz remain the only players from the 2020 roster. The reigns have been passed to youngsters such as Paolo Banchero, Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs.
Isaac is likely not going anywhere for the time being. He is still only 25 and he signed a 4-year extension earlier this year. However, finding a place for Isaac in the lineup may be difficult. He spent most of his minutes in the power forward position, with 97% of his minutes being there in 2020. However, the Magic have Banchero, Bol Bol, and Mo Bamba in the front court. In addition, Wagner has spent minutes at the four spot as well. While Isaac has not played center very often, he has done it in the past. However, Carter and Bamba is currently the main center rotation in Orlando.
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