Orlando Magic big man Jonathan Isaac was one of the lucky few who were selected to participate in Team USA's buildup for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in China.
Isaac was called up to be part of the Select Team — a group comprised of some of the league's best young talents who would be tasked to face Team USA in scrimmages. The 6-foot-10 power forward had nothing but good things to say about his recent experience, saying it was something he will be bringing with him for the rest of his career:
“It was fantastic,” Isaac said, via Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “USA Basketball, the NBA, they do a fantastic job with all their events. I thought the Select Team was just another thing that they do really well. Just to be able to hang out with guys that we played against all year, get to know them a little better, practice with them — it was just fun. It was fun to learn. It was fun to compete.”
Isaac was one of the best performers for the Select Team in the recent televised scrimmage, as he accounted for 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and four steals in 20 minutes of action. They would, however, fall short to the senior squad, who would eventually come away with a 97-78 victory on Friday night.
Nevertheless, Isaac had no complaints, and he was still excited about the opportunity:
“You have a lot of big names in there, and everybody is about the USA winning,” Isaac said. “That’s from the coaches down to the players. That’s what was so great about it.”
Big things are expected from Isaac in the coming season following a noteworthy sophomore campaign for the Magic. The former sixth overall pick averaged 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 26.6 minutes per contest.
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