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In desperate need of shooting, and a point guard, the Orlando Magic were positioned to fill one of those voids in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Instead, they selected Jonathan Isaac, the wiry, defensive minded forward from Florida State. While Isaac will undoubtedly help shore up the Magic’s defensive issues, he doesn’t help fill some of their bigger needs, and brings forth more questions, than answers.
With Aaron Gordon having showed he can’t play small forward, and having excelled at power forward late last season, where does Isaac fit? Yes, he has great mobility for a player his size, and can play some small forward, but will he be a consistent enough shooter to space the floor?
Will Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross be able to make up for the sore lack of shooting across the rest of the roster?
With sharp shooter Malik Monk, and point guard Dennis Smith Jr still on the board, it begs the question if the Magic took the player that makes the most sense for them. With limited cap space, the Magic will struggle to be able to find players who can fill those voids.
Yes, they have three more draft picks and could address some of those needs, but will they want to carry four rookies on the roster, and ask multiple of them to contribute right away when they’ll undoubtedly have playoff aspirations?
While he has high upside, possibly one of the highest in the draft, Isaac is going to take some time to fully be able to contribute. He’s going to need to add weight, or he’ll get bullied by bigger forwards he’ll be tasked with guarding.
With those other glaring needs at the forefront, the Magic will have to be busy over the next couple of weeks to show that selecting Isaac truly makes sense, instead of taking someone who would fill a true need.