There have been several NBA players who have had difficult starts to their career from a health perspective, only to bounce back and become notable stars. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers comes to mind as a prime example. He missed the first two full seasons of his career due to nagging foot ailments. Of course, since he’s been able to get healthy, he’s averaged 26 points per game for his career and been one of the best players on the best teams in the NBA.
Blake Griffin also had some serious injury questions during his early days in the league. As a high flyer out of the University of Oklahoma, fans were excited to see him rock the rim in the professionals as a young player. However, the Los Angeles Clippers and the rest of the league would have to wait to see him play, as he missed his entire rookie year due to an knee injury. Once he cam back healthy however, he was able to capture the promise he had coming out of college.
That is the inspiration that young Orlando Magic forward Johnathan Isaac will need to draw upon. The 24 year old got off to a very promising start in his NBA career, and was slated to be a key part of the Orlando Magic’s rebuild. He had a very different skill set than most of his teammates, or a lot of the young players who came in the league in his draft class. Isaac had a unique, and even sometimes elite ability to produce steals and block shots. He was not the type of player who needed the ball to be effective, and was a very fun player to root for.
However, he has missed the last two full seasons due to an ACL injury, and it is anyone’s guess as to what he will look like when he returns, or how the Magic will choose to use him. If Isaac is able to come close to recapturing the form he once had, he will be a very desirable player for Orlando, or a team that is looking to win now.
Jonathan Isaac – Childhood
The story of Jonathan Judah Isaac begins in The Bronx, New York on October 3, 1997. He was born to parents Jackie Allen and Jacob Isaac. Jonathan Isaac has some Puerto Rican descent as part of his heritage, as one of his grandfathers was of this ethnicity. He could technically play for the Puerto Rican national team if he wanted.
The Isaac family spent the first 10 years of Jonathan’s life in New York, but they had a difficult time enduring in a rough area of the city. Jonathan and his many siblings would try to stay out of trouble by focusing on basketball, and they would enjoy pickup games when they were kids. It was not something that Jonathan was very passionate about pursuing to its fullest extent, however.
During the challenges that were presented to them in New York, Jonathan’s father would underscore the value of having a strong religious faith to bring them through tough times. Jacob Isaac and his children would recite verses from The Bible on a very regular basis, and it was something that the future NBA plyer would prioritize, and still value to this day.
Isaac’s parents split up when he was 10 years old, and his mother moved the children to Naples, Florida while their dad remained in New York. Allen did not want her children to grow up nervous to walk around their neighborhood or spend time out of the house. It was around this point that Isaac started to believe that he could really become a great basketball player if he worked hard and fell in love with the process.
Jonathan Isaac – High School
It took a little time for Isaac to get used to his new surroundings in Florida. It was nice to not feel as uncomfortable as he did in The Bronx, but he also had to adjust to a new group of peers and try to fit in. At first he wasn’t sure this would happen, but credited his involvement in sports as a way for him to make friends. Isaac would later comment that athletics unite people from all different types of backgrounds and upbringings.
As it turned out, change was a constant during Isaac’s high school life. He would start off attending Barron Collier High School, where he would end up playing his freshman and sophomore years. As an underclassman, he was 6’1” and was a guard who would be consistently asked to handle the ball and setup the offense. However, things got a little challenging for the New York native, as he would average less than five points a game during his sophomore season, and was coming off of the bench.
Isaac decided that he might be better off playing at a different school, so he would transfer to the International School of Broward for his junior and senior years. He would end up playing very well for the team, averaging a double-double during his time there. Isaac stepped up his game as a senior, as he averaged nearly 30 points a game in his final year with the International School.
However, in a puzzling turn of events, Isaac was not really receiving much attention on the college recruiting scene. His numbers stacked up well against any other prospects, but universities did not seem to believe he was playing against solid competition. Many evaluators had not heard of the International School before. To extend his high school career, Isaac would take matters into his own hands.
As a result, Isaac felt like he needed to showcase his ability and improve his body in an intermediary step to get to where he wanted to go. As a result, he attended IMG Academy, which is a school that is designed to let athletes eat, live and breathe sports. It would be a wise move, as he would have some big games against other prep schools, including a triple-double masterpiece of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocks against Chipola College. During his one year at IMG, colleges finally realized what they had been missing, and were now all lined up at his doorstep in hopes of bringing him to their campus.
However, there was a brief moment in time where Isaac and his camp thought that it might be a good idea to test the NBA waters after his IMG stint. After all, he did spend an extra year playing basketball after his four years in college. However, it was decided that Isaac was not yet draft eligible at that point, which meant he did have to play at least one year of college basketball.
Jonathan Isaac – College
All of the big powerhouse programs wanted Jonathan Isaac on their team. He received offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, North Carolina, and many others. However, he decided to remain in his new adopted home state of Florida, and joined the Florida State Seminoles. They had shown some interest in him coming out of the International School, and appreciated that loyalty.
Florida State would have a fantastic season in 2016-2017. They finished second in the ACC, and had many future NBA players on the team, such as Isaac, Terance Mann and Dwayne Bacon. One game in particular showcased a tantalizing glimpse of what Isaac could be. In January 2017 against Notre Dame, he scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked seven shots in a victory. He was everywhere on the floor, and it was a preview of what was to come.
The Seminoles were awarded the number three seed in the West region of the NCAA Tournament. They won a game against Florida Gulf Coast before being upset by Xavier in their second contest. Florida State had a talented team, but their best players were mostly underclassman, which led to a brief NCAA Tournament career for Isaac.
Jonathan Isaac – Orlando Magic
Even with the slightly disappointing NCAA Tournament, Jonathan Isaac was setup well heading into the 2017 NBA Draft. His stock as a rangy prospect with a high ceiling had been solidified with his performance in college, and the best part was, he would once against get to remain in the state of Florida.
Isaac was selected by the Orlando Magic with the sixth pick in the draft. The franchise was in a transitional state to say the least, and were looking for high upside players in hopes of landing a star. Jonathan Isaac could never really establish a rhythm as a rookie, as he only played 27 games due to a nagging ankle injury.
However, Jonathan Isaac’s trajectory would start to improve dramatically in his second season. First and foremost, he stayed healthy, playing in a career high 75 games. He would be a mainstay in the rotation, playing nearly 27 minutes per game on a Magic team that got into the postseason. Even though they would fall in five games to the Toronto Raptors, Isaac and a lot of his young teammates got experience playing in the postseason.
As a third year player, Isaac blossomed into one of the best defenders in the NBA. His lateral athleticism was extremely valuable in keeping smaller players in front of him on switches, and he was also blocking shots and stealing the ball at an elite rate. The only thing that could stop Isaac was his health.
In January 2020, he suffered a severe knee sprain and bone bruise, which was thought to keep him out for the rest of the season. However, the pandemic occurred, and the season re-started in late July. With more time to recover, Isaac was able to make it back and help the Magic, but he was dealt another tough blow, tearing his ACL in the NBA bubble.
Jonathan Isaac – NBA Future
We have not seen Isaac suit up for an NBA game since that injury. Even though he has been sidelined for two full seasons, the Magic gave the former Florida State star a four year contract extension in December 2021.
However, the franchise has to be concerned about his health, and there are reports Isaac may not receive the full salary of his extension because he has missed so much time. He hopes to be ready for the start of training camp so he can join the Magic for the 2022-2023 season.
Even through some tough times, it appears as if Isaac has been able to remain positive. He has become an ordained minister with Jump Ministries Global Church, which gives him purpose off the floor.
How long will Jonathan Isaac be out?
It is still unclear how much longer Jonathan Isaac will be out of action. He had a very difficult 2019-2020 with regards to injury. He missed a lot of games before the pandemic shutdown due to a severely sprained knee and a bone bruise. Many people thought he was done for the season, but had more time to recover since the NBA finished their regular season and started their postseason in late July -early August. In the NBA Bubble, Isaac would tear his ACL, and has not played a game since. There is hope he will be ready for the 2022-2023 campaign.
Where did Jonathan Isaac grow up
?Jonathan Isaac and his siblings had an interesting childhood. The family spent the first 10 years or so of Isaac’s life in The Bronx, New York, which is where young Jonathan was born. However, the neighborhood they lived in had a lot of negative influences, and more violence that his mother wanted to deal with. She would end up moving the family south to Naples, Florida, to give her children a better chance to succeed. It was a much safer neighborhood, and although Isaac needed a little time to adjust to his new surroundings, he was able to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Is Jonathan Isaac a good basketball player?
It might be hard to remember his production clearly because he has been out with injury for over two years, but Jonathan Isaac was certainly a good basketball player when he last played. He was becoming an elite defensive player, who was putting up eye-popping steal and block numbers. Had he been able to stay healthy in 2019-2020, it was very possible that he would’ve been named to one of the NBA All-Defensive Teams. He was also a highly publicized prospect coming out of high school, so it has been apparent for some time that Isaac has had the talent to do special things.
