The last time Orlando made the Playoffs, Jonathan Isaac was 15-years-old. Now the organization looks forward to what he can do in the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
This is his time.
All he has to do is show up and be who he is capable of being.
But who is Jonathan Isaac? So far, Jonathan Isaac is a two-way forward who averages 9.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
There is still the belief he can do a whole lot more and that this is just the beginning. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and then missed virtually his entire rookie year. Still, Isaac turned himself into a starter for the Orlando Magic despite all of that and is just now starting to come into his own.
Usually, players selected that high in the draft will present a unique skill set to a team and potentially be the anchor of the franchise moving forward. Due to injuries, Isaac has not had the same time on the court as his 2017 classmates. He has still made an impact with his defense — just ask John Collins.
This year’s playoffs present an opportunity for Isaac to take a leap. And, to be sure, the Magic will need an impactful and active Isaac to make any kind of noise.
What is his ceiling? Can he improve in this year’s Playoffs? Can he be the future of the team?
Some of, if not all of these questions will be answered in the first round matchup in the playoffs this season. The postseason is where stars are born and player development gets sped up.
Isaac has the opportunity of a lifetime.
It is the opportunity to put the league on notice if not offensively, then most definitely defensively.
More than likely he will be matched up against Kawhi Leonard or Most Improved Player Award candidate Pascal Siakam if the Magic face off with the Toronto Raptors. If the Orlando Magic face the Philadelphia 76ers, he will get to stare down Ben Simmons or Tobias Harris.
Regardless of who the Magic play, Isaac will be a key to their defensive schemes and strategy. He can show the world just how good of a defender he is.
Back in February, the Magic beat the Raptors convincingly 113-98. Although the Raptors did not play Leonard due to load management, Isaac had 16 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes.
That was before the Magic had won 30 games on the year and they were still trying to find out who they were as a unit. Now the Magic have one the highest winning percentages in the NBA since January and are playing at a high level.
Last week the Magic traveled back up to Toronto and fell to the Raptors 121-109. Although Isaac only scored eight points, four rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes, his defense on Siakam was impressive, to say the least.
Siakam, averaging 17.0 points per game on a 59.0 percent effective field goal percentage, scored only six points on 2-for-9 shooting. Isaac smothered him defensively, knocking the ball away from him on several occasions and turning him into a non-factor.
The last time Isaac saw the 76ers was in an 119-98 win in March. Isaac had eight points and four rebounds in that games as the Magic collectively kept the Sixers from scoring for nearly 11 minutes in the second half.
Issac’s confidence is at an all-time high. The only set back for him at the moment is a head injury suffered in Sunday’s win over the Boston Celtics.
Although Isaac tweeted he was ok Sunday, he was still placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol and will sit out Wednesday’s regular-season finale against the Charlotte Hornets.
Jonathan Isaac has been placed in the NBA concussion protocol, a Magic official said. He was hit in the jaw during Sunday's win in Boston, and has experienced concussion symptoms. He will not play Wednesday night in Charlotte.
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) April 9, 2019
Isaac should still be OK for the playoffs. That will be a big moment for him to step to the plate. And the Magic will need it.
The organization is looking for Isaac to assert himself more within this group. If not this Playoff run, then most likely the next. This year’s experience against the NBA’s best should bring the best out of him and his teammates.
Coach Steve Clifford’s rotations will be critical with the development of his game and confidence during the Playoffs. Isaac needs to be inserted to any crucial part of the team’s success and be involved a little in the teams offensive sets at the end of games for his confidence to continue growing.
It will be key to allow him to guard Kawhi Leonard or Ben Simmons for stretches and allow him to compete against one of the best two-way wings in the NBA and give Aaron Gordon a needed breather for the closing kick. The Magic will have to mix up coverages on those elite players to throw them off and keep them uncomfortable.
For the team’s future, that on-ball experience will only enhance his potential.
But more importantly, Isaac has an opportunity to show this organization they picked the right player in the 2017 NBA Draft. After all, Donovan Mitchell and Kyle Kuzma were selected after him and have a higher trajectory of superstar potential in their future than Issac.
Isaac has to show glimpses of the player that the Magic thought they selected in 2017, which was a player that the team can build a franchise around. At the very least, for this team to find success in the playoffs by any measure, Isaac will play a central role.