Orlando Magic Playbook: Jonathan Isaac an expert at spacing, finding ways to score

The Orlando Magic are not running plays for Jonathan Isaac quite yet. But he understands how to make an impact with his spacing. And he used it well Monday.

Something was different for Jonathan Isaac from the opening tip of Monday’s 104-95 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

It was not merely that he was the only one who could seemingly hit a shot in a game where nobody seemed able to get going. Nor was it the fact he was finally making shots after staying in the background offensively in the team’s first two games.

Jonathan Isaac has already established himself as a terror defensively. But Monday presented something entirely new for Isaac. A game that he has shown hints of in the past and finally burst out for the first time this season.

Isaac was the offensive revelation in Monday’s game, scoring a career-high 24 points and making 7 of his 10 shots and five of his seven 3-pointers. Isaac found himself in the right spots and with the ball swinging to him.

Isaac’s success was a product of the offense in general. All of his makes were assisted. But he put himself in positions to score and he took advantage. In a game where nobody was able to get anything going, Isaac got everything going.

He did it in exactly the way the Magic want to use him for now. Isaac just had to be ready.

He has a good understanding of spacing. If the Magic can work the ball to him, his success is all about making shots and forcing the defense to defend him.

Isaac got the same 10 shots in the game against the Atlanta Hawks as he did against the Toronto Raptors, this time he made those shots.

There was nothing special about Isaac’s breakout game in this sense. He did the same things he has always done — both in this game and in his breakout games last year. He ran the floor hard, finished at the rim off cuts and made his 3-point shots.

The shooting element has always been the key to making the most of Isaac. And with teams willing to let him shoot, he has had the space to make them pay. Before anything else can develop, Isaac needed to make shots.

The development on the ball will come once defenses feel like they have to guard him at the 3-point line. Isaac as a consistent 3-point shooter is still a work in progress.

But games like Monday night’s game are a good start. And Orlando really cannot waste many more of these strong games from Isaac moving forward. Not until they become more commonplace.

And they might be because Isaac consistently shows off his basketball intelligence to make himself available.