Head coach Jamahl Mosley and his Orlando Magic have turned around the fortunes of the franchise in 2023-24. The team has slipped up just a bit as of late due to a string of injuries, most notably to talented forward Franz Wagner; however, the Magic currently sit comfortably in playoff position, and the revamped defense that Mosley has orchestrated is a big part of the reason why.
One of the stalwarts of that impressive defense is backup big man Jonathan Isaac, who made a big impact in the limited playing time he received in a recent loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
After the game, Mosley heaped praise on Isaac's ability to impact the game on that end of the floor.
“He does an excellent job,” said Mosley, per Fawzan Amer of The Sixth Man Show on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I think he does a great job of protecting at the rim, changing up with who he's guarding. He can guard one through five. Disruption at the rim, sitting down into contesting shots, impacting all shots. He came up with some big steals down there. I think he just does an excellent job for us. He is a game-changer for us defensively.
The Magic have been a bit cautious with Jonathan Isaac's minutes this season as he works his way back from injury; however, there is no doubting the talent of the former first-round pick, who boasts a unique combination of size and athleticism that allows him to guard multiple positions and easily switch on pick and roll plays.