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Selected as a lottery pick by the Orlando Magic in 2017, Jonathan Issac was chosen to make the Magic better defensively. Head coach Frank Vogel is a defensive guru, who was responsible for transforming the Indiana Pacers into title contenders at the height of his coaching career.
Vogel obviously loves what Issac brings to the table defensively, especially since this young talent meshes perfectly with the Magic's precise defensive stratagem. Standing at 6-foot-10, Issac is currently averaging 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for Orlando. He isn't shooting well this season, only converting 39.7 percent of his field goal attempts and 30 percent of his 3-point shots.
Nonetheless, Vogel has consistently praised Issac for his defensive acumen. In fact, on Saturday, Vogel specifically explained why Issac is so important defensively after the Magic defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, per Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
“It’s, to me, directly tied to him being on the floor,” coach Frank Vogel said after the win over Memphis. “There was about eight or nine plays tonight where he was directly responsible for just forcing a miss. He didn’t get the blocked shot or anything like that, but he was just in the vicinity and he’s so long he just changes things. He changes shots for us, and he changes us as a basketball team on the defensive end.”
Issac may not be offensively gifted, but his defensive prowess could earn him more minutes in the Magic's lineup. His height alone is enough to deter opposing players from attacking the basket, and he is also an impactful defender that does the little things to help his team win games.
While Issac continues to develop, hopefully, he can develop a consistent jump shot. Right now, though, he seems to fit perfectly in Vogel's defensive system.
