Orlando Magic: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2019-20
By Luke Duffy
1. Jonathan Isaac
Nobody on the Magic’s roster looks more likely to take their game to the next level than Jonathan Isaac. We saw flashes last season, as he was able to turn in impressive games as he found some consistency and stayed off the treatment table.
While that was a nice bonus then, we are coming to a point where this is going to have to be a necessity. The Magic still lack a franchise savior and while Isaac may never ultimately be that, he is currently the best-placed player with the most upside to try and fill that void.
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He’s going to start on opening night, and if his 3-point shooting has improved at all over the summer, he could see himself as the second option offensively behind Vucevic before long. This is the key to him taking the next step, and it feels like he will be allowed to prove he can do this.
Evan Fournier may be more gifted offensively, and Aaron Gordon is a legitimate two-way player already, but Isaac’s long frame and shooting touch we’ve seen flashes of mean he can do what most others on the roster cannot. Given that the Magic ranked 22nd in offensive rating last season, this would be a welcome addition.
Isaac is also the most likely player to breakout because the Magic’s roster is settling down now with people knowing their roles and what is expected of them. The front office may still favor drafting or signing long athletes who can make a difference defensively, but there is more order to what is going on now.
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Vucevic is the All-Star center, with Bamba learning from him as he improves. Birch will see spot minutes while Gordon has shown he now has the game to play next to Isaac and Vucevic/Bamba. Wesley Iwundu and Aminu will back him up, while Chuma Okeke won’t be contributing for a while. These players are now in place around Isaac to make him better, and he looks ready to do just that.