'It's Like Watching Bill Russell!' Magic PF Jonathan Isaac Gets Defensive Praise
Jonathan Isaac only averaged 15 minutes per game for the Orlando Magic and played for only 16 minutes in the victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night, but his impact was heavily felt.
Posting two steals and a box plus/minus of +14, Isaac made life difficult for Zion Williamson, who finished with 20 points, but only five of those came when Isaac was on the floor.
Mar 21, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) guard Cole Anthony (50) and New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) look for the rebound during the second half at KIA Center.
© Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Going into the game, it was clear that Isaac would be a problem for Williamson, and after the final buzzer, Bill Simmons took notice of Isaac's defense.
"There was a couple of times when it was him vs. Zion, and I was like, 'this is the best moment of the season.' I texted you, it's like watching Bill Russell come out of the '60s and just play forward for the Magic for like 15 minutes a game," said Simmons. "He is so far ahead of every other forward in the league defensively, it's almost indescribable. It was interesting watching Zion got him a couple of times but he really had to work, twist, pump-fake, and move around. It's such a shame we never got to see this guy actually be like a 35-minute-a-game guy."
Thanks entirely to injury, Isaac never blossomed into the elite two-way forward he was expected to be but is instead a defensive anchor coming off the bench for one of the most promising young squads in the league.
He is not a 35-minute guy and probably never will be, but for 12-20 minutes a night he can stop the best player on the other team and make their presence on the court negligible, if not a negative for opponents. In the playoffs against dominating Eastern Conference players like Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, Julius Randle, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Isaac will be a force to stop them from getting hot.
