Orlando Magic third-year forward Jonathan Isaac had a bounce-back, improved sophomore season following a rather unimpressive first year in the league.
Isaac, at 6-foot-10, was selected by the Magic with the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft but never really found his footing in the league until the past season. The tall, athletic forward saw bumps in scoring and efficiency as he slowly received more minutes from rookie to sophomore years in the Association. Orlando also saw a change in their head coach position, replacing Frank Vogel in 2017-18 with Steve Clifford in 2018-19.
Isaac is not done improved, however. Here's what he had to say about the offseason's time to work on the Florida State product's game, per Alex Kennedy in HoopsHype:
Magic fans are really excited about your development. What do you need to do in order to take that next step forward and what are you working on this offseason?
[Isaac]: It’s a lot of the same stuff that I’ve been focused on. I’m working on my body, first and foremost, along with being a more consistent three-point shooter and just allowing myself to make mistakes and learn from them. I think that’s exactly what this past year was, just learning from mistakes and continuing to keep that mindset that I want to get better each and every day. I allowed myself to get there and I found throughout last season that I was able to make strides from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I’m looking forward to doing the same thing this year. I don’t think it’s a new formula. I’m just continuing to have that mindset that I’m not where I want to be and I need to continue to work to get there.
Last season, Isaac averaged 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in 75 appearances and 64 starts for the Magic. He shot 42.9% from the floor, 32.3% from deep, and 81.5% from the free throw line. Next year, building off a first-round exit in the 2019 playoffs, Clifford's team is looking for a greater contribution from their former lottery pick in Isaac.
Follow Us
Subscribe