Jonathan Isaac will be Orlando Magic’s breakout player in 2018
By Ryan Doyle
After a quiet offseason, the Orlando Magic are looking to develop within their organization. They may rely on their rookie Jonathan Isaac to break out.
As the season crawls closer, it is time to take a look ahead toward the 2018 campaign. There have been plenty of projections regarding the Orlando Magic’s chances in 2018.
Expectations around the league are fairly low for the team. Many expect the Magic to improve, but not significantly. Playoff talk is seen as an outside chance more than a likelihood. If Orlando is going to make a Playoff run, the team will need someone on its roster already to breakout in 2018.
With so much youth on the Magic roster, there are many players that have room to improve. From rookie Jonathan Isaac to Mario Hezonja, the Magic should see plenty of development.
Development does not mean a player will break out. The Magic have a roster that could feature several breakout candidates, but there is no guarantee they will take that step up. Veterans who are going to have bigger roles and young players who could make headlines around the NBA.
If one player is going to take over the NBA this season, it is Jonathan Isaac. The Florida State Seminoles product has drawn comparisons to Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. And for good reason.
Isaac is a very raw prospect, but he may be the only player with superstar potential. Although former fourth overall pick Aaron Gordon is a freak athlete, Gordon appears somewhat limited. His jump shot has caused issues and his offensive game as a whole is limited. And after three years in the NBA, he has slowly reached his ceiling as a player.
Yes, Isaac has not played a game yet. Bu,t when looking at the rest of the roster, no players appear to be able to have a big year.
Orlando Magic
Terrence Ross and Jonathon Simmons have a chance to become top contributors for the Magic, but little chance of becoming the leaders of the team.
Veterans Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier are in a similar situation. Both players are in the prime of their careers and are what they are at this point. Their room for improvement is much smaller than the 19-year-old Jonathan Isaac or the 21-year-old Aaron Gordon.
Perhaps the problem is Orlando does not have an obvious breakout player. Not in a traditional sense. They, like some other teams, are hoping rookies can make immediate contributions.
Isaac’s breakout season will likely begin with a few highlight reel plays. He will need to work his way up the rotation to earn major minutes, but Orlando is going to throw Isaac a bone early due to his high draft status.
Isaac is going to make headlines around the city. Fans will be itching to see the top pick perform. As the Magic continue to rebuild and move toward competing, Isaac has the opportunity to become the franchise player.
As Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic are probably the “franchise pieces” at least in the national sense, Isaac only needs one strong season to leapfrog them both. Isaac becoming the star player will be an interesting narrative for not only this season but for the seasons to come.
With his athletic ability, Isaac will be a strong defensive presence from the opening tip. If he spends time at the forward spots, Isaac will be matched up with top-tier offensive talents.
If Isaac can hold his own on defense, head coach Frank Vogel will surely award him with more minutes. Like last season, the Magic will have a priority on the defensive side of the ball.
As Isaac gains confidence through strong defensive play, he will begin to find his role in Orlando’s offense. If Isaac can be a threat from the outside, the Magic will use him as a mismatch. Teams will be unable to use quick guards to defend him on the perimeter with his length, but the slower forwards are not going to be able to keep up with the athletic 20 year old.
The potential in Isaac is what makes him so intriguing.
Clearly, a lot has to happen if Isaac is going to be considered one of 2018’s top rookies, but he should strive to have his named mentioned with Lonzo Ball and Jayson Tatum. And possibly begin putting his name much higher. Or, at least, give clues he can get there with another breakout season.
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The potential to make headlines and take giant steps in his development make Isaac Orlando’s best chance at a breakout player.