Orlando Magic: 3 most disappointing players of the season so far

3. Jonathan Isaac

It would be great if we weren’t starting with a second-year player like Jonathan Isaac, who clearly has so much potential. He is considered as a core player in the Magic’s rebuild, and we also have to remember he is only 21 years old.

So to say he has been a disappointment so far this season would seem a bit harsh. But when graded against the modest expectations that would’ve been held for Isaac coming into the year, it’s true — for now, at least.

We also can’t include guys like Khem Birch, Jarell Martin and Isaiah Briscoe here either, because they haven’t played nearly enough game time (the three combined have played only 119 minutes so far this season) to qualify.

Once more, injuries to Isaac’s ankle are derailing what looked to be a promising campaign, forcing him to only play in eight games so far. He had started every one of those games, already almost as many as the 10 he started last season.

There is no doubt that when Isaac plays, his exciting potential is clear. But every time he begins to build up a head of steam and looks primed for a breakout, Isaac is forced to sit out with some niggling injury.

It also hasn’t all gone perfectly on the court either. Whereas defensively he looks like he can be a real difference-maker, the Magic’s defensive rating when he is on the court has slipped from 100.9 in his rookie year to 109 so far this season.

The 7.1 points per game he’s averaged is another poor number, with his 3-point percentage of 26.3 percent even worse.

There is still so much time left in the season to get off this list and become one of the Magic’s top five players, which is what Isaac clearly looks like on some nights. It’s just unclear when we’ll next see him on the court long enough to get there, and that’s a problem.