Orlando Magic Veteran Jonathan Isaac Feeling Good Early

Through three games, the Orlando Magic is 2-1 and look improved coming off of last season. One reason for that improvement is the good health of Jonathan Isaac.

“I feel good,” Isaac said. “Body’s still definitely getting adjusted to getting back to playing, but feel excited about the way the team is and the challenge.”

Back in 2019, Isaac once looked like he could be the future of the Magic after he helped lead Orlando back into the playoffs and was off to a career-best season in 2019-20. At age 22, Isaac was shooting 47 percent from the field, averaging 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds on offense, and showing his defensive tenacity with 2.3 blocks per game and 1.6 steals through 34 games.

Unfortunately, an ACL injury would keep him off the court entirely for the next 2 seasons, and he’d be limited to just 11 games last season as injury issues resurfaced. This time, a torn abductor required season-ending surgery.

Now age 26, Isaac is finally back and able to show he’s still got it on the court after four seasons of injury woes. He may not be the 22-year-old who averaged nearly thirty minutes a game anymore, but in his 11 minutes through the first three games, he’s already shown that his defense and offense are still up to par despite the limited playing time thus far.

Isaac is currently averaging roughly five points on 46 percent shooting, three rebounds, three rebounds, a block, and a steal.

As a young, scrappy team, the Magic are looking to prove that they can contend with any team in the league. On Monday night, the team showed that they could compete with the veteran-heavy Los Angeles Lakers led by LeBron James but lost the lead late in a three-point loss.

Now a veteran, Isaac’s health could dictate whether Orlando gets back to the playoffs for the first time since he was last healthy for a full season. So far, so good.