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Orlando Magic Draft Grades Roundup: How did the Orlando Magic fare?

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jonathan Isaac (Florida State) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number six overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jonathan Isaac (Florida State) is introduced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the number six overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jonathan Isaac, Florida State Seminoles, Jayson Tatum, Duke Blue Devils
Jan 10, 2017; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) has his shot blocked by Florida State Seminoles forward Jonathan Isaac (1) during the second half of the game at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports /

Colin Ward-Henninger & Briant Botkin, CBS Sports: A

"This is all about Isaac, who for some experts’ money has the highest ceiling in the draft. For starters, he’s a defensive beast, 6-11 with athleticism and physicality to guard four positions. You either love pairing him with Aaron Gordon because they can switch and do a lot of the same things, or you think it’s a bit awkward because they can’t complement each other so much as they resemble each other."

Indeed the central figure for the Magic in this draft is indeed Jonathan Isaac. No one will care who the Magic traded, what player they overlooked at the end of the first round or even what those acquired assets became if Jonathan Isaac turns into the team’s franchise player and star.

That is a lot of pressure to put on a 19-year-old kid, but that is the nature of the beast.

Coach Frank Vogel, for his part, said the plan is to bring Isaac along slowly. The team will not give him more than he can handle. They hope to reach a point where they can increase his workload in the middle of the season. But that will be determined by how he progresses.

The fit with Aaron Gordon is the biggest question mark of all of this. The fit seems perfect defensively where they can switch and be terrors on the perimeter. Offensively? Both need to improve their jumper.

But there is still plenty of optimism and belief Isaac can make that step up. Giving this draft pick for the Magic an “A” or a “B” or worse likely falls on your belief in Isaac.

For the most part, it seems many believe in Isaac’s future prospects.