Orlando Magic: 3 goals for Jonathan Isaac next season

Goal number 3 for Jonathan Isaac’s return: Make an All-Defensive Team

Once again, Jonathan Isaac is one of the better wing defenders in the NBA. He hasn’t received much recognition for it, having never made an All-Defensive Team or even sniffed the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Before injuries derailed his 2019 season, Isaac was off to a promising start. In the 34 games he played, he was averaging 5.1 defensive rebounds per game, 1.6 steals per game and 2.3 blocks per game. Those are All-Defense numbers and borderline DPOY numbers. Unfortunately, that season was cut significantly short.

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His defensive potential has always been there, it was the whole reason the Magic took him sixth overall back in the 2017 NBA Draft. Isaac took consistent jumps each season and was poised to be the breakout star in 2020 before tearing his ACL. If he’s able to stay healthy and play a majority of games while back at full strength, he’s a near-lock for a defensive accolade.

So far in his three seasons, he has a combined Defensive Win Share of 5.8, meaning that the Magic have won approximately six games due to Isaac’s defense. Another impressive feat is that in the 2019-2020 season, Isaac grabbed 19.6 percent of defensive rebounds that were recorded while he was on the court.

His defensive ability and tenacity are the reason that he’s been able to develop into the player he is today. Should he come back to form in 2021, look out for J.I. to finally get the recognition he deserves.