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Orlando Magic 2024 fantasy studs and duds (and question marks)

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Paolo Banchero has helped begin to redefine the Orlando Magic's offensive identity. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Paolo Banchero has helped begin to redefine the Orlando Magic's offensive identity. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic
Jonathan Isaac’s return was again cut short as the Orlando Magic forward had to recover from a late-season surgery. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports /

Orlando Magic 2024 Fantasy Basketball Studs and Duds

Stud: Jonathan Isaac

Everything in the following 300-plus words has to have the following warning: If he is healthy.

But if Jonathan Isaac is healthy, there may not be a more valuable fantasy basketball player for later in the draft or your utility slots than Jonathan Isaac. Like his common player comparison of Andrei Kirilenko, Jonathan Isaac is simply a more valuable fantasy player than he might be an actual player.

Again, when he plays.

The stats bear this out as Isaac just filled up the stat sheet pretty quickly even in his limited minutes over 11 games.

Isaac averaged only 5.0 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game and 1.7 stocks per game (steals and blocks combined), and he had shooting splits of 41.5/40.0/55.6. This was all in just 11.3 minutes per game. His minutes were starting to ramp up before his season-ending injury forced him back to the sidelines.

Take these numbers per 36 minutes (always fraught with peril) and he posted 16.0 points per 36 minutes, 12.8 rebounds per 36 minutes and 5.3 stocks per 36 minutes.

That is to say, Isaac played for precious few minutes but was very productive in them going across several different stat categories. And these were largely with restrictions still on what the team wanted him to do. And he did that across multiple stat categories.

The Magic did not meaningfully upgrade their backup forward position. They will be rotating between the quartet of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Joe Ingles and Jonathan Isaac. All indications are that he is healthy and will be ready to go for training camp. That will be a huge boost for him.

Next. Paolo Banchero knows he still has room to grow. dark

Orlando’s defense was astounding in Isaac’s limited minutes. If he gets those restrictions taken off him and is able to play consistently this season, then Isaac is going to produce and make some fantasy basketball owners very happy.

Provided they are willing to take the risk. Because, again, all of this is if Isaac is healthy.