3 Players who will change the Orlando Magic from playoff team to contender
2. Jonathan Isaac
There are a lot of people who have a lot of thoughts about Jonathan Isaac as a player.
On one hand, a large cohort believes Isaac is the best per-minute defender in the league. His impact defensively is something everyone can measure statistically. There are are lot of people who said they would have voted for Isaac for the all-defensive team if he were eligible.
Those numbers are laid pretty bare.
He averaged 1.9 "stocks" per game and 4.5 "stocks" per 36 minutes. The Magic had an astounding 102.1 defensive rating with Isaac on the floor, 8.7 points per 100 possessions better than the team's already sterling average. Opponents shot just 52.7 percent at the rim against him.
Isaac was an impact player with his presence alone. And the Magic, once assured of his health, spent a good chunk of their season trying to maximize whatever minutes they could get from him.
On the other hand, his detractors say he made that outsized impact in only 15.8 minutes per game. He played 20 or more minutes in just 12 games last year and more than 24 minutes in four games.
It is easy to be an all-out defensive specialist in limited minutes and while missing most back-to-backs during the year.
It is probably fair to wonder if Isaac can get through a whole season without any injury scares or restrictions considering he has not played a full season since his initial knee injury in January 2020.
Still, last year hitting 58 games with all his restrictions and precautions was a major step in his journey. Isaac is certainly hopeful he can focus on his play rather than injury maintenance or his health.
That appears to be what has happened this summer. And the Magic appeared to have moved beyond those restrictions late in the season when they used him as the backup center for the end of the season and felt comfortable enough to start him at center in Games 1 and 2 of the playoffs.
That may have shown some of his limitations—he works better as a weakside defender and shot-blocking roamer rather than trying to outmuscle bigger players like Jarrett Allen. But Orlando has long shown a willingness to get creative with Isaac.
They know the impact he can have and so Orlando is going to look for different ways to use him throughout the season. The question is whether he can scale his game up from 15 minutes per game to nearly half the game. Can he be the team's sixth man?
There is at least some proof of concept that Isaac still impacts games even when he plays increased minutes. The Magic should not take the criticism that he is coming in for a flash and dominating teams in short spurts as offensive. Isaac is dominating largely bench units and knows he is playing precious few minutes.
The Magic should be eager to increase his playing time.
Isaac's real impact though will come if he can expand his offensive game. Isaac averaged only 6.8 points per game in his limited minutes. He shot 37.5 percent from three though and a career-best 59.8 percent effective field goal percentage.
If Isaac becomes a more consistent offensive weapon in addition to bringing his defensive impact to more minutes, then that greatly changes the potential for the Magic. Not only because it means the Magic can get more creative with lineups, but it gives their already strong bench another huge boost.
Isaac is one of those players who can absolutely turn games and lift the Magic up a tier as a high-level role player and an elite defensive player.
Wendell Carter still can be an excellent defender—opponents shot 58.4 percent at the rim against him which trailed only Jonathan Isaac and Goga Bitadze on a strong defensive team. But he is not a classic above-the-rim center as a finisher or a shot-blocker. He is all about positioning.