Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has been away from the game for a very long time. The last time that we saw him on the court was August 2nd, 2020, when the NBA was playing in the Orlando Bubble.
On that day, while playing against the Sacramento Kings, Isaac suffered a torn ACL. A torn ACL requires a lot of rehab, but players are normally able to get back on the court in about a year depending on when in the league’s calendar the injury occurs. Unfortunately for Isaac, his rehab was not so straightforward.
He missed the entire 2020-21 season, rehabbing for more than a year. During that rehab, he suffered a serious hamstring injury, which set him back even further. Because of those two injuries, Isaac missed the entirety of the last two seasons and all 46 games thus far this season.
Alas, that missed game streak looks like it will come to an end on Monday night. The Magic are set to play against the Boston Celtics and Isaac is expected to be made available for the game, giving him a chance to make his season debut.
You cannot help but feel happy for Isaac, who has had to go through so much in the last 2.5 years. It is hard to imagine, but the last time that Isaac took the court, he was 22 years old; he is now 25. He has spent a ton of time on the sidelines during his NBA career, so it will be great to see him back on the court.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Jonathan Isaac & Orlando Magic Updates
Prior to his injury, Isaac was showing improvement as a 3-point shooter and rounding into shape offensively. It was a positive trajectory as Isaac was already a highly-regarded defender with All-Defensive Team upside given his ability to defend multiple positions and be a true game-changer on that end of the court.
The Florida State product recently made three appearances in the G League with the Lakeland Magic and he looked good on the court. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in 17.7 minutes per game.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Jonathan Isaac & Orlando Magic Updates
The production is impressive given how little playing time he received, but the most important part was that Isaac made it through the games unscathed. There were no physical issues or setbacks reported, which has cleared the way for him to get back on the court. It will be an awesome scene the first time that he checks into the game tonight against the Celtics.
