3. The Gordon/Isaac tandem
The duo of Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac is a fascinating one because it looked like early on during their time together so far that they could not play together. Trading one of them made sense, but instead it was head coach Frank Vogel who got canned.
This was the right call, as the pair have gone from strength to strength together since.
Watching how both continue to grow this year, and in turn lead the organization to more wins, will be among the most exciting aspects of supporting the Magic in 2019-20.
Gordon looks closer to his finished self than Isaac and while he could still surprise, that is no bad thing. He is now the best two-way player on their roster.
He is also the only player who can hold his head high after their playoff performance against the Toronto Raptors. His regular season averages of 16 points and 7.4 rebounds a welcome boost for the team.
Gordon’s 3-point stroke improved as well and was reflected in the 34.9 percent (career high) he shot from deep.
Isaac has lots more to show, but in year two we started to see what he was about as well. Consistency was the key for Isaac, who after a tough rookie season in which he played in only 27 games (starting 10), he finished year two having appeared in 75 (starting 64).
Defensively he was excellent and although his 3-point shooting needs work (32.3 percent), the Magic weren’t any worse offensively when he was on the court (108.2 for the season, 108.2 when Isaac played), although this means he was essentially a non-factor on that end.
He also scored 20 points or more only once during the campaign.
Really though if the Magic want to improve, both guys need to be better this season.
Watching them attempt to do this will be among the most exciting aspects of the campaign, because if they improve like they are supposed to, then the Magic are going to be a problem for opponents every night.