The Orlando Magic are 3-9 on the young NBA season, and already look destined to be back in the lottery next year. This is exactly what they would have expected with such a young roster that is trying to find its way. Rookie Jalen Suggs has struggled early on, which is to be expected, while the other lottery pick from last season, Franz Wagner, has impressed.
But the makings of a frisky, up-and-coming group look to be in place. Cole Anthony is currently the man, while Chuma Okeke looks like the kind of player who will have a lot of value to a winning organization as time goes on.
Even the tandem of Wendell Carter Jr. (who got paid) and Mohamed Bamba (who did not) has worked, despite it feeling like a choice had to be made there. All of this covers the continued absence of Jonathan Isaac, but it is a strange situation that will need clarity soon.
Isaac has been out since early August of 2020, during the NBA Bubble in Florida, with an ACL tear. No issues there, as the Magic have been cursed with this injury in recent times with Markelle Fultz having the same injury in January of this year, and Okeke having had to miss his entire rookie season with that problem as well.
While we have seen footage of both Fultz and Isaac working out with their teammates in the gym, updates on the return of Isaac have been few and far between. The latest on him is that he may be back this side of 2021, but there is also a chance that his absence will stretch into next year.