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Jonathan Isaac eager to get going, but Orlando Magic to remain patient

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - JULY 1: Jonathan Isaac #1 and Stephen Zimmerman #33 of the Orlando Magic look on during the game against the Indiana Pacers during the 2017 Orlando Summer League on July 1, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JULY 1: Jonathan Isaac #1 and Stephen Zimmerman #33 of the Orlando Magic look on during the game against the Indiana Pacers during the 2017 Orlando Summer League on July 1, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jonathan Isaac eagerly waits his first practice as a professional basketball player Tuesday. But the Orlando Magic are preaching patience in his development.

Throughout Media Day on Monday, the anticipation and anxiousness for Tuesday were palpable. Just as it surely was throughout the league. Media Day is a nice get together, but largely a hassle for players who just want to get back to work.

Especially for the Orlando Magic, it has been five long months since the last time they took the court as a unit in any capacity. There was an eagerness and anxiousness to get back on the court and try to get rid of the nasty taste of a 29-win season out of their mouth.

Jonathan Isaac was not a part of that team. His eagerness is something very different. Tuesday marks his first NBA practice. A day he has been waiting for all his life and certainly since Summer League ended in July after the Magic made him the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

"“I just want to show up and be ready to play. I want to have my head clear and just see what happens,” Jonathan Isaac told Orlando Magic Daily during Media Day on Monday."

Isaac has done a lot of work since that last day in Summer League when he was pulled from the third game in the second quarter with a hip injury (he has fully recovered). Isaac said he feels like he got stronger since then as he worked out largely in Orlando and at the Amway Center, getting to know and work with whatever players remained in town.

Still, nothing is quite like that first training camp practice for a rookie. The NBA suddenly becomes real and they are playing NBA basketball, albeit in practice. It is the first of many milestones for a rookie to pass.

There is a lot for Isaac to learn. He even admitted that.

"“It’s everything I thought it would be coming up,” Isaac told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. “You have your nerves, but you’re anxious at the same time to play. I’m just super excited as well to get everybody here — all the teammates here — and get to work.”"

There is the usual rookie cliche of having to adjust to the speed of the game. Things happen much faster at the NBA level than at the collegiate level. There is no getting around that and every rookie learns this lesson quickly.

In his workouts and his pick-up games with his new teammates, Isaac is learning how to pace himself through the 82-game schedule too. Isaac, like most rookies, seems eager to get going and do as much as he can all at once. Veterans are still telling him to slow down some and take some rest where he can get it.

That patience is going to be the big thing the Magic preach to him. They are not going to rush him into the limelight or give him more than he can handle.

That might be frustrating, especially for the player himself who wants to do everything. It might become more frustrating with how his peers might be playing and might be performing. This was a very good draft class, by all accounts. There are going to be several rookies making an immediate impact. Isaac probably will not be one of them.

Already, Isaac has drawn unfavorable comparisons after performances at Summer League, even though Isaac was perfectly fine in his Summer League run for the Magic.

But the Magic want him to grow at his own pace.

"“Everyone learns and develops at their own pace and their own rate,” coach Frank Vogel told Orlando Magic Daily during Media Day on Monday. “You try to teach him the game and try not to put too much on him early. Just ask what is required of the rest of his teammates to fit in and follow his assignments. When he does that, his talent has a chance to shine through.”"

Isaac will still have to earn his spot. And there may be moments where Isaac struggles.

Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic /

Orlando Magic

Isaac said one of his issues with the Florida State Seminoles was how hard he was on himself, expecting everything to come quickly and develop for him. He said he enters the NBA knowing he is not going to be the best player immediately.

There are definitely some finer points to the game Isaac has to learn too. Not just the speed of the game. Some of Isaac’s new teammates have spoken to him about preparing for the grind of the season and technical things he can do to score in the NBA.

Isaac has prodigious talent. Everyone can see that already. Isaac’s new teammates are excited to get him on the floor and see what he can do.

But it will take time. Even he knows that. And Isaac’s role may be relatively simple his first time out.

"“Everybody wants to jump out and just score the most points and be the most talked about player,” Isaac told Orlando Magic Daily. “But the demands are simple — just work hard and be ready to play.”"

Next: 2018 Orlando Magic Outlook

That first step happens Tuesday as training camp opens for Isaac and the Magic.