Time for Orlando Magic to look toward the future with Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon

With the season winding down, the Orlando Magic only have one important question left to answer: Can Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon coexist?

Another year, another disappointing season.

Even with a new front office and a roster full of new players the Orlando Magic once again find themselves at the bottom of the NBA’s standings.

The Magic will now be six full years removed from their last playoff appearance. They are seemingly no closer to being better than they were the day after they traded Dwight Howard.

But there is a little glimmer of hope.

And that glimmer — or maybe glimmers? — can be found in the form of rookie forward Jonathan Isaac and forward Aaron Gordon. Of all of the hardships Orlando has endured and all of the failure developing their own players, the Magic may have found some light in these two players.

Isaac, while still a rookie has shown he has the talent to be an All-NBA defensive player. While his offense is very rudimentary, Isaac has shown a little ability to be a jack of all trades on offense. He can handle it a little, he can roll and he can shoot the ball a bit.

While Gordon, on the other hand, has completely transformed his game since he came to the NBA. He is having his breakout year, averaging a team-best 18.3 points per game. He is shooting 44.3 percent shooting and 34.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The only thing that is similar in Gordon’s game since he left the Arizona Wildcats is his freaky jumping ability. Gordon went from a defensive monster with the Wildcats to an offensive-focused, jump-shooting-first forward with the Magic.

Gordon could be the single example of Orlando’s former player development strategy working out the way they had hoped. Or a sign the current player development program is on the right track.

Now that Orlando has seemingly identified their two most interesting and potential franchise cornerstones, there is a question they need to answer. Can Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon successfully play together?

This is a question even coach Frank Vogel acknowledges the Magic need to experiment with more. The two players have played only 67 total minutes together with a 96.5 offensive rating and 89.9 defensive rating. Since the All-Star Break, the duo has played just 14 minutes together through Isaac’s minutes restriction and Gordon’s concussion.

In that small sample, the Magic have a 98.1 offensive rating and 62.3 defensive rating. Small sample size duly noted.

Most people would probably suggest Gordon and Isaac are both best suited to play the power forward spot. There is not a great match for either player because of that. We saw what Aaron Gordon looked like as a small forward next to Serge Ibaka last year.

It was not pretty.

But there was a bright spot last year with Gordon at small forward. That was Gordon’s perimeter defense. Gordon was capable and arguably a far more impactful defensive player for the Magic on the perimeter last season.

When you consider Isaac is a naturally talented shot blocker, the combination seems like it has the potential to work on defense. Really even in a complementary fashion.

But offense is where there is a potential issue with the Isaac and Gordon pairing. That has already born itself out in their limited minutes together.

While Gordon played small forward last year, he was putting up career lows in just about every offensive category. Gordon does not have a particularly masterful handle. He already struggles against some quicker power forwards. And even when he has the advantage he settles for jumpers a lot.

While this settling for jump shots can be seen as a weakness, it may help him play small forward. If Gordon can knock down these contested jump shots at a higher rate against smaller defenders, the shots may seem less egregious.

From a catch-and-shoot perspective, Gordon has significantly improved since last season. He is at least a respectable shooter now. His development may make him a better small forward option now than he was last year.

Isaac at this point is more of a spot-up shooter and garbage man on offense. Though it may benefit the Magic in the long run if they decide to open up his role a little bit as the year ends.

It is important for the Magic to figure out if the Issac and Gordon pairing has any chemistry. While it is clear Isaac and Gordon should only continue to improve, the Magic realistically need to have an idea of whether or not this pairing can work by the end of this season.

The Magic have already invested the number six pick in the draft in Issac. They will have a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft to spend as well. The Magic need to know if they should spend that pick on another forward or if they should re-up Gordon and look to pick at a different position.

For the remainder of this season, the Magic need to start Gordon and Isaac together as much as possible.

The Magic seemingly have a future building block in Isaac. But what the Magic need to figure out is if they have a building block in Gordon too.

Next: Orlando Magic play for pride as they return home

In order to salvage something from another nightmarish season, the Magic need to make sure Gordon and Isaac get as much exposure together as possible.