Orlando Magic: Jonathan Isaac their Draymond Green?

It is unclear what type of player the Orlando Magic should draft with the sixth pick in the upcoming NBA lottery, but Jonathan Isaac can do a bit of everything.

As of now, the picture is becoming clearer at the summit of the 2017 NBA Draft with the Boston Celtics trading down from the first pick to third.

We know that Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and Josh Jackson will be gone early, but we don’t know much more than that. What complicates things even more is the fact that some teams, such as the Sacramento Kings, have so many needs it’s hard to know who they’ll draft themselves.

The same could be said for the Orlando Magic, who sit in possession of the sixth pick and have remained quiet as the draft itself draws closer.

Looking at their roster, it’s unclear exactly where they need help the most. They seem to be sticking by point guard Elfrid Payton, and Aaron Gordon continues to improve in his more natural power forward position.

The team has committed $29.2 million next season to centers Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic, so we know they won’t be drafting a big man. What the team could do, however, is choose a player who can do a little bit of everything, and who can cover up some of the many holes on this roster.

That player is Jonathan Isaac, and his stock is rising at the perfect time for the Magic because of what he could do for their team.

In one season with Florida State (he wouldn’t have far to travel if he went to Orlando), Isaac helped the college get back to the NCAA Tournament. He did so by averaging 12 points and 7.8 rebounds a night, while shooting 78 percent from the free throw line and 34.8 percent from distance.

Those are nice, even numbers across a couple of categories, while his defensive abilities caught the eye of many who watched him during the season.

He’s got a good all-around game, and this is something the Magic could do with right now. They have many specialist players, but guys who can do a bit of everything are a hot commodity in the league today.

Payton (passing/defending), Gordon (athleticism), Biyombo (rebounding), Terrence Ross (shooting) and Mario Hezonja (still unclear exactly what he’s doing) are such players who excel in one area. If the team picked Isaac, he could come in and play both forward positions while also chasing guards off the line on the defensive end too.

Everything about his game is tailored to the way the league has gone in recent years, and Isaac could even be the big man (at 6’10”) in a potential small-ball lineup.

But is that flexibility enough to warrant picking him over De’Aaron Fox or Malik Monk, one of which will be available when the Magic are up?

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The key argument for Isaac comes down to this. He could be the Magic’s Draymond Green, and that is such an enticing prospect.

It’s foolish to compare rookies to players who have been in the league a long time, and it’s arguably more shortsighted to just copy what the Golden State Warriors have done to be successful.

You have to put your own spin on their formula, which has brought them two championships in three years.

Organizations that are doing that currently are the Houston Rockets and to a lesser extent, the Boston Celtics.

While trying to beat the Warriors straight up at their own game isn’t a good idea, the one area all teams should try to be more like them is with how flexible their roster is.

Green gets a lot of credit for this, but in reality they have many players who can do a lot of things on the court for them. Isaac would be the first player the Magic have who could do that.

Stick him anywhere on the court, and watch the quirky combinations become unlocked. Just think of what a defensive-minded head coach like Frank Vogel could do for him too.

He’d spread the floor in much the same way Ross does, but doing so as a forward would open the lane up brilliantly for some Payton/Biyombo pick-and-roll action. There really is only one potential downside to picking Isaac, and it’s that this team would have to nail their future picks to make sure he gets help.

If Isaac is this team’s best player down the road, then they will have done something wrong. He doesn’t figure to be a star player, bur he’s the versatile “glue guy” that every contending team needs.

The Magic really need a player who excites the fans and who has star potential — somebody like Monk, an offensive guard who can shoot the ball and sell jerseys.

But Isaac may be the better guy in the long run, especially in an era where high-level guards are easier to come by.

Taking Isaac doesn’t feel like a risk either, and while that’s exactly what this team needs right now. This feels like a draft where a couple of superstars will emerge. After taking risks in the past, should the team take one more and go for a more splashy pick than Isaac?

It’s hard to know, but there’s so much to like about Jonathan Isaac’s game that the Orlando Magic need to take a long look at him.

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He’d fit really well with this team, but then again, he’d fit in no matter where he lands in the league. That’s entirely the reason why the Magic should think about keeping him in Florida long-term.