Jonathan Isaac should find his minutes at center for Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac is one of the most intriguing rookies in the 2017 class. But the Magic have a confusing depth chart that may make it difficult for him.
The NBA’s current “small-ball” trend has been well-documented, especially after everyone in the basketball-watching universe saw Kevin Durant and LeBron James play extended minutes at center in last year’s NBA Finals.
The fact many teams are moving away from playing traditional centers bodes well for this Orlando Magic team, which has some intriguing options at a few positions and plenty of positional versatility.
Their roster construction will be both a blessing and a curse. It will be up to coach Frank Vogel to make sure it is more of the former.
He has a lot of solid, rotation-level players at his disposal and matchups may determine who gets the most minutes at each position on a given night. Still, ensuring the development of sixth overall pick Jonathan Isaac is paramount for the Magic and their long-term prospects.
In a vacuum, Isaac’s most natural position, at least for his rookie campaign, would seem to be small forward or power forward. But Aaron Gordon will receive most of the power forward minutes while Terrence Ross, Jonathon Simmons, Mario Hezonja, Evan Fournier, Wesley Iwundu and Arron Afflalo all will need some time at both the 3 and 2.
There is little room for Isaac to play on the perimeter at small forward. And, at the same time, Jonathan Isaac will be pushing for minutes behind the Magic’s other prized youngster in Aaron Gordon.
This complicated depth chart may relegate Isaac to a backup 4 role.
But, the Magic’s self-proclaimed goal for 2018 is to evaluate the roster. It is a perfect storm to allow Vogel room for creativity. And to experiment.
The second-year Magic coach would be wise to use this roster congestion as an opportunity to begin exploring the full range of Isaac’s tantalizing potential. This is especially important because with no contract extension and Gordon’s restricted free agency looming, the organization needs to see as many minutes as possible with the pair on the court together.
Not only will it be hard to find Isaac minutes at small forward, but if his 3-point shooting does not translate, a 3/4 combination alongside Gordon might not even be viable.
The Magic need to begin exploring this combination now. Especially if it figures centrally to president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman’s vision for the team.
And there is even more Isaac could do. With his length and defensive instincts, he could easily become the next “death lineup” center in the style of Draymond Green. Against small lineups, Isaac would be a terror with his size, length and speed.
Isaac has a long way to go before he develops into a positive defender at center. He has a long way to go in a lot of aspects of his game. But in this “year for evaluation,” he must be considered for minutes there, even if he struggles.
His 3-point shooting will more than likely be above-average for NBA centers. He would provide a stretch-5 element while keying a unit that would, if nothing else, be very tough to guard in transition.
The possibilities with Isaac at center are exciting to talk about. It is an experiment worth trying to get the most out of the rest of the roster.
Ideally, Gordon would play the 4 here. He is the only other player on the team who can realistically play that position, outside of Isaac. That would also give the organization a chance to see if those two can work together in the frontcourt, which will be important when deciding to match an offer sheet or enter contract negotiations for Gordon next summer.
With those two up front, Jonathon Simmons and Terrence Ross could line up at the 2 and 3. Elfrid Payton can man the levers as the point guard. And if the team needs shooting, Evan Fournier is a knock-down shooter to spread the floor.
Simmons and Gordon will have a positive defensive impact. And so will Isaac if the other team is not playing a traditional 5. This is something teams are doing more and more throughout the league – the Cleveland Cavaliers with Kevin Love, the Milwaukee Bucks with Thon Maker, etc.
Add Ross and Elfrid Payton into that mix and you have five super-fast, athletic players that love to run the break and either throw or catch lobs.
Maybe this will not be the best Magic team in history. But the potential to see the team experiment and grow with Isaac is mouthwatering. Isaac is a player with so much potential, it is hard not to get excited.
As with most of the Magic’s lineups this year, scoring in the halfcourt will be a big problem. But their transition offense and defense will be above-average, if not elite.
The halfcourt defense will have several perimeter defenders who can switch and get their hands into passing lanes. This is a key aspect of the defense Vogel wants to build.
Orlando Magic
As exciting as all that sounds, the Magic have plenty of other center options. The chances for Isaac to log a lot of minutes at center this year are small. Even though Orlando experimented some with Isaac and Gordon at center, it does not appear likely the Magic will do much more with it on a regular basis. For now, Orlando needs to give Isaac every chance to succeed. And, most importantly get him minutes.But Vogel will need to take risks slotting him into both positions for spot minutes.
It will be just as hard to get Isaac minutes at center as it would at small forward. But Vogel will need to take risks slotting him into both positions for spot minutes.
Isaac may be nearly 7-feet tall, but he currently lacks the girth and lower body strength required to consistently play at the 5. Even when defending smaller lineups, it will take him time before he can play above-average NBA center defense, which will require him to act as an anchor, calling out sets and guarding the pick-and-roll.
Vogel has praised Isaac’s defensive IQ and acumen for a 20-year-old rookie. But every rookie has a lot of learning to do. He has a chance to succeed at center for limited stretches, but there is a sizable learning curve to overcome.
Lineups with Isaac at center, if we get to see them, will at least be very intriguing to watch. They may provide some highlight reel fodder but will not be the team’s best option in most situations. It is merely an experiment.
Winning games should and will be important to this Magic team. But letting this season pass without at least experimenting with a small-ball lineup would be a terrible missed opportunity.
The Magic drafted Isaac because of his versatility and upside. Pigeonholing him into just one or two positions would be a mistake. Isaac’s cannot reach his ceiling if he is not allowed to get reps at multiple positions.
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With the NBA’s current small-ball direction, his best position could very well be at center, at some point. Although he may struggle there at the beginning, the Magic’s upcoming “season for evaluation” is the perfect opportunity both for him to get a taste of what it is like to play center in the NBA and for the organization to see how he can play alongside Gordon long-term.