Good news for Orlando Magic: He his back

Orlando Magic veteran Jonathan Isaac feels good early.
After missing the greater part of four seasons due to injuries, Jonathan Isaac is back with the Orlando Magic, looking to prove he can still play.

The Orlando Magic are 2-1 through three games and appear to have improved since last season. One factor for this development is Jonathan Isaac’s strong health.

“I feel good,” Isaac replied. “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 appeared to be the Magic’s future after helping lead the team back into the playoffs and having a career-best season in 2019-20. At the age of 22, Isaac was shooting 47 percent from the floor, averaging 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds on offense while also demonstrating his defensive tenacity with 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 34 games.

Unfortunately, an ACL injury would keep him off the court for the next two seasons, and he would only play 11 games last season as injury troubles reappeared. This time, a torn abductor necessitated season-ending surgery.

Isaac, at 26, is finally back on the court and proving he still has it after four seasons of injuries. He may not be the 22-year-old who used to play roughly thirty minutes each game, but in 11 minutes through the first three games, he’s already demonstrated that his defense and offense are still on par despite his decreased playing time.

Isaac is now averaging approximately five points on 46% shooting, three rebounds, a block, and a steal.

As a youthful, scrappy club, the Magic want to establish that they can compete with any team in the NBA. On Monday night, the squad demonstrated that it could compete with the veteran-heavy Los Angeles Lakers, headed by LeBron James, but lost the lead late in a three-point defeat.

Isaac’s health, now that he is a veteran, may determine whether Orlando returns to the playoffs for the first time since he was healthy for a full season. Thus far, so good.