All eyes are on Jonathan Isaac as the Orlando Magic completed a fairly active NBA Draft by selecting the biggest potential in the NBA Draft.
Orlando Magic fans had a lot of reason to anticipate and get excited about the 2017 NBA Draft.
Even though the team entered the Draft with the sixth overall pick, there was a very high likelihood the team would get one of the big stars of this loaded top end of the draft class. For a team coming off a disappointing 29-win season too, having three picks from 25 to 35 also presented an opportunity to reinject the roster with young players and reset the team a bit.
The Draft is a time to believe in the future. It is easy to believe everything the team wants to accomplish can get done in the Draft. Orlando still needs to explore other ways to improve its roster. But the foundation for the whole summer would get laid Thursday night.
Or so everyone thought.
With four picks in the top 35, Magic fans expected the team to try to move up to get a more talented player. Nobody thought bringing in four rookies would be the right idea. Coming out with a high-risk prospect in Jonathan Isaac and Wesley Iwundu in the second round was met with some disappointment.
Orlando ended up using the sixth overall pick on the long, athletic Isaac. He is a raw prospect who could grow into a star player, but he may take some time to get there.
The team then traded the 25th overall pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for a future pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder (the protections are super complicated and require its own post . . . so stay tuned). The Magic passed on several backup point guard options, center options, a few stretch-4s and some intriguing wings.
The Magic selected Wesley Iwundu, the long, defensive-minded senior from the Kansas State Wildcats, with the 33rd pick. And then they traded the 35th pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the Brooklyn Nets’ 2019 second round pick.
Orlando largely traded out of this draft, admittedly unimpressed or uninspired with the prospects available to them. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said the team aimed to preserve its assets by spinning them forward.
That may not be what Magic fans want to hear.
Expectations do set reaction to the Draft. And it is increasingly difficult to grade the draft the day after. Nobody knows which players will turn into stars and which ones will turn into busts. But everyone loves to undertake the exercise.
Let’s tour the various sites and see what everyone is saying about the Magic’s draft haul.
Orlando Magic Daily: B-
Let’s start with myself since I have not formally weighed in with my thoughts on the Magic’s draft.
As I noted above, and in the podcast with Zach Oliver of Orlando Pinstriped Post, a lot of the feelings many of us had about the Draft were born out of the expectations we had for the Magic’s 2018 season.
The going thought, based on everything the coaching staff and player said, was they all believed the Magic were closer to the Playoffs than their record indicated. It made everyone believe the team would still be pushing to make the 2018 Playoffs, although with much less urgency.
The thinking was the Magic would look at adding players with their four picks who could contribute fairly quickly. Especially with that sixth pick, the thought was Orlando could get a player with a high upside and the ability to contribute quickly.
The Magic, seemingly went the opposite direction, taking the biggest “risk” and “potential” player at the top of this draft in Jonathan Isaac.
With how everyone expected the Draft to play out, the Magic were essentially making a pick between Dennis Smith and Jonathan Isaac. And so taking Isaac was not a reach at all. In most senses, it is a perfectly sensible and acceptable pick. And it sets the Magic in motion for the rest of the summer and the near future.
Orlando Magic
Isaac’s fit remains a bit uncertain despite all his talent. He is still growing as a shooter, after making just 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. He is a more natural wing at the moment, but many still believe he will one day be a power forward. The same position as Aaron Gordon, the Magic’s other prized young player.
That question of fit prevents the Magic from getting the best grade they can get. In my estimation, there was a better player on the board who fit the teams needs better. I am also not as high on Isaac as a lot of others, his passiveness with the Florida State Seminoles really concerned me. He has the physical tools, but it will just take a lot of time.
As for Wesley Iwundu. I really like him. I think he can come in and make an impact immediately on defense. If his shot continues to develop, he should be able to carve out a role in the NBA.
What I did not like is how the Magic punted on their other picks. While they certainly could not bring four rookies to training camp next year, there should have been some opportunity to move up or even the chance to move back some in addition to retaining future assets. There were players I personally liked at 25 and 35.
But, at the end of the day, the Magic have more information than the public. So if that was the best they could do. . . I guess that is the best they could do. I would have done things differently and maybe played my hand slightly different. If they did not like anyone on the board at 25, waiting for the second round was the right call.
It was not a home run draft by any means. It was solid. But, ultimately, it did not live up to expectations.
Let’s see how the rest of the Web viewed the Magic’s Draft.
Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated: A-
"Orlando was rumored to have promised Isaac at this spot, and rolling the dice on his long-term potential makes a lot of sense for the Magic as they begin to chart a course with Jeff Weltman and John Hammond running the show. Isaac had a case as high as the third pick (and in a different year would surely have gone higher) but comes with more risk than the players selected before him given his slight frame and inconsistent play as a freshman for Florida State. That said, his best-case scenario would give the Magic a strong piece to build around, as versatile, tall front-court shooters don’t come along every day. Orlando doesn’t immediately address a need with this selection, but the Isaac pick is a clear indication of the Magic’s timeframe."
Jeremy Woo is a fan of the Orlando Magic’s pick of Jonathan Isaac in this Draft. And there is definitely a sect — a large sect — of NBA people who love Isaac. With his 6-foot-10 frame and length and athleticism on defense, there is plenty of potential and plenty of ability within him.
Liking this pick might also be dependent on where you think the Magic are in their development.
As I noted, believing the Magic are closer to the Playoffs and are on a more shortened timeline means this pick is a bad one. Isaac will take some time to develop. He will not be able to contribute.
Believe the Magic are at rock bottom and need to restart completely, and Isaac is the right pick. Someone who can grow slowly and develop for the team’s long-term health as part of another rebuild.
The national perspective likely would follow the latter. The local perspective, after five years out of the Playoffs, probably hoped for the former.
Chad Ford, ESPN.com: A-
"Isaac is especially intriguing. Some scouts believe he has the highest ceiling of anyone in the draft, and yet he might also have the most bust potential of anyone in the top 10. That said, I think he’s got a real chance to be a star. He has the physical tools and skills to succeed and should be terrific alongside Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic in the frontcourt."
ESPN.com was particularly high on Jonathan Isaac throughout the draft process. Their statistical projections had him as adding the third-most wins above replacement player of any player in this draft in their first year. That used a series of statistical markers and projections. Do not take it as a hard and fast truth.
But there are plenty of signs the Magic took a deep cut and should be able to get a solid return on this investment. Of course, no one can predict how humans will perform or what will happen when Isaac actually steps onto the court.
Whereas many are questioning whether Isaac will fit in with the Magic, Ford seems very certain that this is a perfect fit.
Not only does Isaac, in his mind, fit the versatility element the Magic seem to be looking for. But Ford also believes he fits with the Magic’s front court featuring Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic. Certainly, Gordon and Isaac should be able to become a devastating defensive tandem. But ultimately, this group’s success is reliant on Isaac and Gordon’s development from beyond the arc.
Ford notes Iwundu should be able to help out defensively too. But his 3-point shot will be what determines whether he sticks in the league or not.
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.
Chris Stone, FanSided: B
"Orlando landed a pair or prospects who fit their new general manager’s profile, but they’ll face some difficult choices regarding how to proceed with Gordon in the near future. Isaac has elite role-player potential and Iwundu is a worthy risk to take early in the first round, but his potential shooting woes could make him a tough fit on a roster that lacks many sharpshooters."
No one seemed to know what Jeff Weltman was looking for in the NBA Draft. After all, he has no drafting history as someone in the lead chair. Leading up to the NBA Draft general manager John Hammond went on local radio stations and said the team was looking for length and versatility. His type as a general manager with the Milwaukee Bucks was to select players like that.
But nobody knew if Weltman would follow through with that.
In picking both Isaac and Iwundu, the Magic seemed to discover a type. Coach Frank Vogel mentioned during the team’s introduction of its two rookies that he prefers players with that positional versatility. Wing players have to be able to defend the 2, 3 and 4 now, he said. Both these players fit that bill.
So it would seem Orlando is discovering its type and beginning to draft to it. So perhaps there is philosophical fit, if not actual fit with the current roster.
But the concerns about Isaac’s fit in the larger picture are more than warranted. There is a fair amount of risk involved in taking such a raw, young prospect.
Orlando took a bit of a home run swing to get their type.
Brandon Galella, Hoops Habit: B+
"Issac instantly becomes the most versatile frontcourt defender on the team, as his 6’11” frame is accompanied by a 7’1″ wingspan, providing head coach Frank Vogel with a rim protector on one end who is capable of converting from the perimeter on the other. Only 13 other NCAA players managed to total at least 30 made shots from three-point range and reject 45 shots last season."
The Orlando Magic have clearly established a type. And Isaac is certainly a unique one of that type. As Brandon Galella of Hoops Habit points out, Isaac made quite the defensive impact last year for the Florida State Seminoles.
And that is where Isaac will be able to fit in immediately. The first thing he said he could contribute on a NBA floor is his defense. He seemed eager to learn Frank Vogel’s defensive schemes. And that is something that is very hard to teach.
It is yet to be seen what Isaac can contribute on the offensive end. And his growth there likely determines where his ceiling and his career ultimately go. But the physical traits are undoubtedly all there.
That upside is what everyone is holding onto as the Magic make this pick. And that is probably why nobody is seeing any A’s. Isaac is still a bit of a mystery. Everyone loves his potential, but it is not perfectly clear if he will ever get there.
That is the nature of the Draft. Even this high. And so there is a little bit of risk. And a bit of an unclear fit.
Next: Locked On Magic: Immediate Draft Reaction
What grade would you leave the Magic for their Draft? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter by tweeting at us @omagicdaily.