Orlando Magic’s future really rests on Jonathan Isaac’s progress

With the NBA season now over, everyone’s attention has already turned to the 2022 season. A slew of gambling odds have already popped up with championship predictions and over/unders.

Predictably, the Magic are near the bottom.

After tearing down the roster and banking on some Lottery luck to provide a clearer path to the future — and coming up short — the team is not projected to do much. It is likely as they begin to come out that they will have the Magic among the worst teams in the Eastern Conference.

ESPN released its offseason power rankings and had the Orlando Magic 28th ahead of only the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets — how things finished in the standings.

To say the least, even with the potential of adding two top-10 picks in this loaded draft, everyone is going to be skeptical of the Magic until they prove themselves on the court.

It is likely to be another rough year for the Magic’s record as the young team grows under a new coach and improves individually. Anything can happen, and no one should write the season completely off. But in all likelihood, the Magic will be back near the top of the Lottery to start next season.

There are not likely to be any major free agents — the Magic’s cap room is limited and the trade exception is only effective for certain contracts — and the Draft will bring a high-level rookie but obviously not the highest level available.

The Orlando Magic are not likely to have a strong record next season as they begin their rebuild. The one thing that could flip that is Jonathan Isaac’s development as he returns from injuries.

The one factor that could flip the Magic’s season in an unexpected way and add something to the team is the return of Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz from injury. Both players missed the majority of last season with torn ACLs — Isaac’s suffered in August during the early stages of the bubble and Fultz’s injury coming just six games into the season.

The Magic never put timelines for players’ returns. And they are certain to be cautious in integrating them back to full-time play. But both players are making clear progress.

And both players could have a major impact on what the Magic might be able to do in the 2022 season.

Isaac is a bit further along.

He told The Sixth Man Podcast a few weeks ago that he felt like he had turned a corner. He also spoke with Josh Robbins of The Athletic during the team’s ceremony topping off the team’s new practice facility that he is “getting there” adding that he has been shooting for a while now and had done some work on the court with new coach Jamahl Mosley.

On the most recent episode of the Orlando Magic Pod Squad, assistant general manager Matt Lloyd said both Isaac and Fultz both are shooting and have progressed to the point you can see the “old versions of them.” He added Fultz has been working out without a knee brace for a while and estimated he has regained 80-percent of his mobility.

There is still no timetable for their returns though.

Isaac will pass the 12-month mark in a few weeks and that certainly points to his availability for camp. But no one will say for sure.

Fultz could be available by then if he is on the front end of the 9-12 month recovery time. But it is more likely to begin anticipating his return around Thanksgiving or Christmas when the Magic are in the midst of their season.

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To say the least, the Magic will be eagerly awaiting their return. These are two of the most talented players on the roster — players the Magic made major investments in with contract extensions last offseason.

And the outlook for the immediate future will depend on how quickly Isaac can get up to speed.

Isaac is still the player with the most potential and promise on the roster. Before his injury, he was establishing himself as a potential all-defensive team player.

Isaac was having a career season in 2020, averaging 11.9 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks per game with a 51.8-percent effective field goal percentage.

Nobody quite knows what Isaac’s ceiling is either. Nobody knows if Isaac can be the lead offensive player. They just know the impact he can have defensively. Isaac was never asked to do much offensively — to the point Steve Clifford often lamented his inability to keep him involved.

That has been a criticism that has followed him since his college days. His otherworldly defense overtook that.

With this Magic team, Isaac will certainly be asked to take more than 9.8 field goal attempts per game. Isaac is likely to see more shots than he has seen since he was in high school. And one of the factors that will determine just how good this team can be will be how Isaac handles this likely added responsibility and attention.

Orlando may not be adding very many new players. But in reality, the team will be adding two to this year’s team with Isaac and Fultz’s returns. Both of those players have shown they are starter-caliber players and that will be a big boost to the team.

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And to be sure, with how young this team is, the team will be looking to them as leaders for this young squad.

There will be more players to add and plenty of improvement in the meantime. It is likely the team will be fairly egalitarian considering their youth. When a player is playing well, they will push to the front. That might be the way the team has to play this year. And the team’s draft picks will certainly factor into that.

But the team will need someone who can play consistently every night. And as the wheel spins for the Magic, it is going to point at Jonathan Isaac — who will be the highest-paid player remaining on the roster after Gary Harris’ contract expires — to fill the void.

How good the Magic can be right now likely depends on how good Isaac can be.

Much of this season is going to be spent figuring out what the Magic have. A lot of players will be put in new situations and they will have a new coach and a new way of doing things to learn.

Orlando is starting from scratch and the team has to sort through the rubble and figure out which players will be worth building around. More importantly, the Magic have to find a central, tent-pole player actually to build around.

Every player within the franchise is almost certainly going under review. And the team will need to see what even someone like Isaac can give them as they plan what comes next.

This first season might be information gathering. But Isaac still plays a key role in that part of the process.

His first priority is to get healthy though. And he is well on his way to doing that.

But quickly when he returns, Isaac will have to make his mark on the team. The Magic may well go as far as Isaac can take them for the next few years.