Orlando Magic PF Jonathan Isaac 'One of the Best' Defenders, Says Jamahl Mosley

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley had high praise for Jonathan Isaac after his performance against the New Orleans Pelicans.

ORLANDO - Through three preseason games, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has given a glimpse of what he's capable of on the defensive end when he's healthy. 

Isaac turned in another strong defensive outing on Tuesday with three blocks in 10 minutes of play in the Magic's 104-92 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at Amway Center. The 6-10 forward has six blocks and two steals in preseason play and drew high praise from Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley. 

"His defensive effort is something that we've known he's capable of doing," Mosley said. "He's one of the best defenders I've ever been around. His IQ on the defensive end is something special. He's covering up for guys, [and] he's communicating. He walked away with three blocked shots in basically 10 minutes. That's a very good defensive effort, and then to talk about the plays where he altered shots. Those things are big, and our guys continue to recognize how valuable he is." 

Jonathan Isaac blocking Brandon Ingram's shot / © Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Isaac has long been one of Orlando's best defensive players from 2017-2020 before injuries have largely kept him sidelined for the last three seasons. Isaac suffered a torn ACL in the bubble in 2020, which knocked him out for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. 

Isaac returned for 11 games last season before a torn left adductor muscle also sidelined him for the rest of the year. 

In his last full season, which was in 2019-2020, Isaac played in 34 games and set career highs in points (11.9), rebounds (5.1), blocks (2.3) and steals per game. In his 11 games in 2022-2023, he only averaged 11.3 minutes and five points per game. 

If Isaac can take his defensive effort into the regular season and stay healthy, he could be a weapon defensively that can match up against the opposing team's best offensive players. A lockdown defender like Isaac would add another dimension to Orlando that it didn't have while he was recovering from his multitude of injuries and add even more depth to a young team that has its sights set on the playoffs. 

The Magic begin their season on Wednesday when it hosts the Houston Rockets at Amway Center at 7 p.m.