Orlando Magic forward makes list of "most overrated NBA players"

Who wouldn't want a 6'10" defensive enigma with the theoretical potential of winning several Defensive Player of the Year awards? That is exactly why the Orlando Magic drafted Jonathan Isaac sixth overall in 2017. Enamored by his size and defensive ability, they used their first-round pick to bring him to Orlando. 

Unfortunately, Isaac has not lived up to his potential quite yet. Injuries have hampered his development, and he has only played more than 34 games twice in a season. In 2018-19, he played 75 games and 58 last season. After a few seasons of very little NBA action, playing 58 games was a success for Isaac. Nevertheless, he is a constant load management project. The Magic value his defensive impact but also do not want to risk playing him too much and losing him to another injury. 

That is the main reason Isaac made Bleacher Report's latest list of the five most overrated NBA players right now. 

Jonathan Isaac listed as one of the five most overrated NBA players 

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale acknowledged Isaac's potential. 

"The 26-year-old is as dominant as they come on the less glamorous end," he writes. 

And yet, Isaac made his list of the most overrated NBA players because he simply does not play enough, and people put too much value on his per-minute impact. 

"Per-minute dominance can mean only so much when you're 28th in total minutes for the entire year," Favale notes. 

This may seem like a harsh assessment—there are hundreds of NBA players, and Isaac is listed as one of the five most overrated players—but it is not totally unwarranted. Favale’s argument is difficult to argue with. The Magic evidently love Isaac's defensive talent and what he can do for the team's foundation on that end of the floor. No matter how positive his defensive impact is, he has not yet shown that he can provide it consistently, and that is a problem. 

Fortunately, the Magic were able to work some injury insurance into Isaac's new contract, guaranteeing only the first two seasons fully. Even with this insurance, the Magic and their fans would prefer it if Isaac could stay healthy and available, however. 

Hopefully, Isaac can capitalize on last season's success and a healthy offseason and play the majority of the 2024-25 season. If that is the case, he might easily prove Favale wrong.