Orlando Magic: 3 goals for Jonathan Isaac in 2018-19

1. Stay healthy

By far the biggest goal for Isaac this coming season is to just stay healthy. He appeared in only 27 games last season, starting 10. The 19.9 minutes per game he averaged when available were below what the Magic would like to see as well.

Last year was a great opportunity to stake a claim in the team and make the mistakes that are naturally going to occur this season. There was also a chance to grow on a franchise that didn’t know which direction it was going in just yet.

Now, it’s about making up for lost time early on in Isaac’s career too, and ensuring that he plays much more frequently this season. That is where the ability to stay healthy becomes even more important and difficult to predict.

It’s one thing to say you want to play in games and go about it the right way, but everybody’s body reacts differently to training and playing. This is a worry, because the injuries he suffered in year one — sprains to varying degrees of severity in both ankles — are tough to shake.

This is the downside (although there isn’t many of them) to having a body type similar to Durant’s — Isaac is susceptible to the same types of lower leg injuries. Given that he is a rim protector who will be landing all over the paint during games, this increases the chance of another injury.

The goal for Isaac should be to play in at least 55-60 games this upcoming season, but the reality is he should be aiming for more than that. If over half of these games played can come as a starter, then he will be making the necessary progression on this team.

Another goal should be trying to not play any games in the G League. It was a necessity last year upon his return from injury, but going back down there will only mean that his 2018-19 season is not going how it’s supposed to.

With all of that being said, Isaac is still only 20 years old, and there is so much time for development that unnecessary pressure should not be put on his wiry frame. Modest improvements across his versatility and shooting would be nice, but just being able to play and make mistakes has to be the No. 1 goal for his sophomore season.