Jonathan Isaac starting to feel more comfortable for Orlando Magic

Jonathan Isaac has had a slow development as he dealt with injuries. Now with more consistent playing time, it is easy to see his game expanding.

There are few defining moments for Jonathan Isaac in his career so far. As his rookie classmates made a name for themselves as one of the best classes to come through the NBA in some time, Isaac was on the sideline.

His injury prevented him from having a rookie year. And while he flashed his talent at times throughout the season, there was hardly any time for him to get a rhythm. By the time Isaac got comfortable at the beginning of the season, he got injured. And by the time he came back, the Magic seemed like they just wanted to throw him out there.

Isaac is slowly getting his feet under him in the NBA. He has more experience than the typical rookie, but it is clear he is still tentative and unwilling to do much outside the box. He is trying to fit in while growing more comfortable and expanding his game.

That is where last Monday’s game against the Boston Celtics fits in. It was finally his breakthrough game. He was active on the glass and energetic in transition. Isaac scored his career-high 18 points (adding a career-high 12 rebounds) but it was his pull-up jumper late in the game that caught everyone’s attention.

There, he confidently pump faked Jayson Tatum into the air and drove into the lane for an open mid-range jumper. Isaac, thinking about it later, said he could have gotten all the way to basket. But the shot was a big step and big moment for him.

He finally looked comfortable on the floor and comfortable enough to attack with confidence.

"“The difference in a year with being more comfortable with allowing the game to come to you and everything about the game is slower,” Isaac said. “It will continue to get a lot easier.”"

Isaac has continued to show that growing comfort on offense since that game. He scored 10 points against the Portland Trail Blazers the next night out. In that game he was again fairly aggressive and assertive, expanding his offensive game beyond simple spot-up opportunities.

Even in shooting 0 for 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Isaac was starting to expand his game more. He was comfortable enough to shoot open 3-pointers without hesitation or pump fake and take a step in.

Isaac will still get the majority of his points off fast breaks. He has had plenty of powerful jams to start this season in transition. And Isaac can continue to build off his rebounding ability to score easy baskets.

But there is clearly some space for Isaac to begin asserting himself offensively.

Isaac is still a bit of an afterthought offensively. He averages 7.7 points per game on just 6.8 field goal attempts per game. He is shooting 43.7 percent from the floor overall. The Magic certainly still need more.

And the Magic are ready to let him continue growing at that pace.

"“We still need him to be more aggressive,” Aaron Gordon said. “We are looking for him to be more aggressive and encouraging him to be more aggressive on the offensive end. But he’s coming along.”"

Aaron Gordon said Jonathan Isaac still kind of flies under the radar. But when he puts together big games, he makes everyone’s life easier. That has still been few and far between. That career game in Boston is his only game with more than 10 field goal attempts — and just the fourth game in his career with more than 10 shots.

The criticism for Isaac coming from the Florida State Seminoles was that he too often faded into the background. He was never someone to assert himself and take over games in the way his talent seemed to demand.

That has remained something of a criticism of his time with the Magic so far. But he is still raw and young enough that he has time to find and develop that comfort to be aggressive.

He impacts the games in other ways and is still making a generally positive contribution to the court.

"“No matter what, you always function when he’s out there,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He’s so smart. He has a good feel for the game. Also organizationally, he knows what we’re doing and he tries to do it. Already, he’s a good, good player.”"

Isaac’s defensive impact is not as pronounced as it appeared to be last year. The team has a 109.5 defensive rating with Isaac on the floor, a mark that puts him only behind Gordon among starters. The starting unit as a whole has a 106.6 defensive rating early on this season, better than the team’s overall mark at 110.8.

Isaac’s other defensive numbers are trending well. His 0.058 defensive win shares per 48 minutes are up from last year’s solid mark (0.021) and he has a +1.7 defensive box plus-minus, according to Basketball-Reference. On a raw numbers basis, Isaac is averaging 1.3 blocks per game and 0.8 steals per game.

Defense, in other words, is not a concern for Isaac. That is an area where there is clearly a lot of trust in how he can impact the game.

Offensively, Isaac is slowly getting more confidence and comfort. His averages are not anything impressive but that is not the true measure for him quite yet. The team is certainly hopeful those numbers will continue to improve.

Steve Clifford said about both Jonathan Isaac and Terrence Ross that it will take time for both to get into their rhythm after missing most of last season. And both have had their struggles.

For Isaac, the experience is leading to more comfort. He is more willing to attack off the dribble and look for his own shot. All without disrupting the Magic’s flow offensively.

It is something Isaac said he is focusing on. He said he is understanding better where his looks are coming from and when and how to create plays and action within the offense. It is clear that understanding is coming quicker and quicker.

And as that understanding grows, Isaac’s game should blossom too. It already is.