Tag: Jonathan Isaac

Should the Chicago Bulls target Orlando Magic big man Jonathan Isaac?

The Bulls could use some younger, more reliable frontcourt depth able to stop opposing offenses.

Should the Chicago Bulls target Orlando Magic big man Jonathan Isaac? The Bulls could use some younger, more reliable frontcourt depth able to stop opposing offenses, and Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has a player in the NBA’s Eastern Conference in mind to do the job for the Bulls next season.

Pointing out just how bad Chicago’s offense can be this season compared to last, the B/R analyst suggests that “the Bulls should still be in the market for more stoppers, especially a hyperactive, all-purpose defender like … Isaac. He has played a big part in the ascension of Orlando’s defense, but given his lengthy injury history, you wonder whether the Magic want to keep relying on him going forward.”

“They desperately need more offense, too, so it feels like they might be one of the few teams actually interested in Zach LaVine,” adds Buckley.

He proposes that “if there is a blockbuster deal to be made between the teams, the Bulls would be wise to want Isaac included in it,” and for our part, we’d have to agree.

The Magic big man has not had the best injury luck in his career thus far, but with other parts coming back in such a deal, could be one of the better options to retool the roster in a hurry.

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Mock trade sees Spurs flip veteran for 25-year-old defensive ace

In this mock trade, the San Antonio Spurs would flip a veteran for a defensive specialist.

This summer, the San Antonio Spurs were the center of attention. Or, more specifically, Victor Wembanyama was the center of attention. The Spurs picked Wembanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and the 19-year-old is already a superstar. In his Summer League debut, the gym was sold out, and it felt like a regular season game.

But now that Wembanyama is in place, the Spurs should be looking to build around him and compete. They don’t necessarily need to make win-now moves right away, but they should be calculated with their decisions, striking when the right deal gets put in front of them.

One trade mocked up by Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report would see them make a small splash that could pay off.

Notre Dame commit Cole Certa heading to IMG Academy

Nice opportunity for him.

A month ago, Notre Dame received its first 2024 recruiting class commit in shooting guard [autotag]Cole Certa[/autotag]. He was recruited out of Bloomington Central Catholic in Illinois. But he has decided that that school is no longer sufficient to continue his athletic growth. He has announced that his final year before joining the Irish will be sent at IMG Academy, the famous sports prep school in Bradenton, Florida:

Certa, a three-star recruit weighing in at 6-foot-4 and 165 pounds, is heading to a school that has produced some quality talent. Among them are Purdue star and reigning national player of the year Zach Edey and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot. Several alumni also have gone onto the NBA, including Anfernee Simons, Dwight Powell, Josh Green and Jonathan Isaac. What’s more, Kyle Brey, son of former Irish coach [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag], is the coach of the varsity football team.

While Certa’s decision is a loss for the state of Illinois, it’s necessary for him to take the next step in his game. Here’s hoping it works out for him and eventually, the Irish.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Paolo Banchero, Magic react to Jonathan Isaac’s long-awaited return

Isaac had only played with three players currently on the Magic roster but that all changed on Monday.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jonathan Isaac had only played with three players currently on the Orlando Magic roster, but that changed on Monday as the sixth-year forward made his long-awaited return.

Isaac stepped onto an NBA court with the Magic for the first since suffering a torn ACL in his left knee on Aug. 2, 2020. After several setbacks and 904 days later, Isaac was cleared to suit up in a regular-season game.

Finally, at the 7-minute mark of the first quarter, Isaac checked in.

He quickly went to work, scoring on a turnaround jumper 38 seconds later for his first points of the game. In all, Isaac recorded 10 points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist in 9 minutes and 36 seconds of work in the 113-98 win over the Boston Celtics.

Isaac was grateful to finally get back onto the court.

It has been such a long road, thinking about all that it has taken to get here. The good days, the bad days and the ups and downs. All of the people that were getting me back — the trainers, our coaches, my family, my church family and my faith. Obviously, the adrenaline and everything that’s going and just trying my best to stay grounded. Much love to the Magic for sticking with me, and the Magic fans were excited so (I) just tried to bottle all of that up in one moment. It was surreal.

The former sixth pick was on a heavy minute restriction entering the contest. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley estimated Isaac would play about 8-10 minutes, and planned to monitor him throughout the game. He played in two stints, midway through the first and third quarters.

To prepare, Isaac appeared in three games with the Lakeland Magic in the G League. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 17.7 minutes per game. The team ramped up his playing time each game with Isaac logging 22 minutes in his final game on Saturday.

That time in Lakeland, Mosley said, helped Isaac for Monday.

I thought he did a great job playing with a level of poise. I think that was the importance of getting that G League time. Obviously, there were a ton of emotions, and rightfully so. I thought he was great with the way he handled himself and, defensively, his ability to get after the ball. Then, offensively, just taking his time and not trying to rush many things.

Though Isaac hadn’t played with the majority of the roster, the 25-year-old was close to the entire team off the court. They have a tight bond, and that starts with Isaac, who is the second-longest tenured player on the team.

Isaac is often the one encouraging everyone, either through texting or other messages of positivity. Those moments have had a lasting effect on the team.

“Since I got drafted, Jonathan was one of the first guys to text my phone after I was drafted here,” Paolo Banchero said. “He has been a huge leader in the locker room for everybody, a positive voice — sending messages to the group chat all season. Just all of the little things he does as a teammate. To see him on the court after it has been so long and get the love from the fans and be able to get a couple of buckets, a steal and play the game was awesome to see.”

Said Cole Anthony:

Being out that long can definitely be frustrating and I know he probably felt like he could have come back sooner. He has just been super supportive of the team as a whole. He watches all of our games, hits us when we’re playing well. He has hit me a few times when I’ve played bad just to try to cheer me up. He is just overall a great locker room guy and a pleasure to have as a teammate.

Magic players and the coaching staff wore specially designed shirts with Isaac’s No. 1 on them. He was also welcomed into the locker room following the game with a water shower and arrived at his postgame press conference still wet.

It is a night that Isaac likely will not forget for a long time.

“I believe that I have my teammates’ respect for the way I’ve tried my best to walk out of these two years of being away,” Isaac said. “They’re happy for me and I appreciate it. I was the same way when someone else that was injured was coming back, I tried my best to be extremely happy for them and get in on everything that was going on. To have it come full circle and them do it for me, it’s fantastic.”

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Magic missing Aaron Gordon, 2 others while Sixers miss Ben Simmons

The Orlando Magic will be missing Aaron Gordon and 2 others while the Philadelphia 76ers will be without Ben Simmons.

The Philadelphia 76ers will be shorthanded on Friday when they take on the Orlando Magic without the services of Ben Simmons and that is a huge loss due to the fact that Simmons is one of the elite players in the game. However, the Magic will be missing some key members as well.

Orlando will be coming into this game already missing Jonathan Isaac due to a torn ACL, but now they will be missing another key starter in Aaron Gordon who is dealing with a hamstring strain while also missing backup guard Michael Carter-Williams to a foot injury. So while Philadelphia is missing a key member, the Magic will be equally as shorthanded in this matchup.

The Sixers will have to lean more on Joel Embiid in this matchup as they get set to move forward as a team. Tipoff from the HP Field House in Disney World is set for 6:30 p.m. EST. [lawrence-related id=36350,36339,36333]

Sixers vs. Magic preview: Sixers attempt to move on without Ben Simmons

The Philadelphia 76ers face the Orlando Magic while missing Ben Simmons inside the bubble.

The Philadelphia 76ers continue life inside the bubble as they look to win their third in a row on Friday when they take on the Orlando Magic. The Sixers will have to do so without one of the game’s brightest stars in Ben Simmons who is out with a subluxation in his left knee.

The Magic are dealing with injuries of their own as they are missing Jonathan Isaac and possibly Aaron Gordon in this matchup. So while the Sixers are obviously shorthanded, Orlando will be missing at least one and possibly two of their main contributors in this one.

With that said, let’s get into the game preview in this one:

How to watch Sixers vs. Magic

  • Date: Friday, August 7
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
  • Location: HP Field House Orlando, FL
  • TV: TNT, NBC Sports Philadelphia+

Injury Report

  • Sixers: OUT: Ben Simmons (left patella subluxation) DOUBTFUL: Glenn Robinson III (left hip pointer) QUESTIONABLE: Mike Scott (right knee soreness)
  • Magic: OUT: Jonathan Isaac (left torn ACL) DOUBTFUL: Aaron Gordon (left hamstring strain) QUESTIONABLE: Michael Carter-Williams (left foot strained tendon)

Storylines

Brown disappointed for Simmons

Coach Brett Brown has gone down this injury road before. He has experienced devastating injuries to multiple players during his long tenure as coach of the Sixers, but at some point, there can only be so much one man can take. Brown certainly did not hold back any emotions of frustrations when he found out the news about his All-Star forward especially after all the work he put in to prepare for this chance after the back injury he had in February.

“I was with him last night. We had an organization dinner,” Brown added. “There’s clearly disappointment because I don’t know if anybody really understood what he did to get ready to come play basketball again. He really invested time, he really was diligent during the whole pandemic about recovery and rehab and strength and conditioning and it’s monotonous some of the smaller things that he had to do to add up to be able to play NBA basketball again.”

More responsibility on Embiid

The Sixers are blessed to have not one, but two young All-Stars as this is now Joel Embiid’s time to step into the limelight and show just how valuable he really is. The big fella has had a terrific start to the restart and he now has even more responsibility thrust on his shoulders without Simmons.

“Offensively, he needs to get as many touches as we can give him,” Brown added. “I think that one of the areas of most noticeable growth is what’s he been doing passing out of the post. It’s probably the single thing that stands out most to me, offensively whether it’s Jo or just us as a team, I like our post spacing. I like Jo’s unselfishness, quarterbacking gyms, his ability to read where the double teams are coming from I think has been shown.”

Prediction

The Magic have had Philadelphia’s number in recent matchups. Nikola Vucevic is always a tough matchup and Markelle Fultz is an athletic guard out on the perimeter. However, even without Simmons, this is a game the Sixers should win. Philadelphia will have to lean even more on Embiid and Horford to get the job done, but it’s a game the Sixers should seriously come away with.

Pick: Sixers are listed as the home team in this one. They don’t lose home games.

Sixers vs. Magic season series

November 13: 112-97 Magic

December 27: 98-97 Magic

August 7:

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Terance Mann, others send prayers to Jonathan Isaac following injury

Players sent prayers to Isaac on social media, including Terance Mann and Dwayne Bacon, who each played with Isaac at Florida State.

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Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac suffered a torn left ACL on Sunday after making a routine drive through the lane between two defenders against the Sacramento Kings.

Isaac crashed to the floor and immediately grabbed at his knee. Teammates circled around Isaac in disbelief as he laid on the court in visible pain. Isaac was carted off the floor in a wheelchair and was immediately taken for an MRI following the game.

Isaac previously suffered a hyperextended left knee on Jan. 1 and missed 31 games for the Magic. The contest on Sunday was just his second back with the Magic after an extensive rehab period to join the team during the season restart.

Following the injury, several players sent prayers his way on social media, including Terance Mann and Dwayne Bacon, who each played the 2016-17 season with Isaac in college at Florida State.

On Monday, Isaac tweeted his appreciation for the prayers and concerns he has received since suffering the injury. He added that his comeback will be greater than his setback as he begins his recovery from a second injury in the same knee.

Isaac will be out indefinitely and his return to the court will be determined on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation, the Magic announced in a press release.

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Tobias Harris sends thoughts to Magic F Jonathan Isaac after injury

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris sends some love to Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac.

While the Philadelphia 76ers were in the middle of an off day on Sunday, other NBA teams hit the floor to continue the 2019-20 season. One of them was the Orlando Magic as they looked to make more progress towards clinching another playoff spot.

Toward the end of an easy win over the Sacramento Kings, young and talented forward Jonathan Isaac drove the lane and he landed awkwardly on his left foot which caused his knee to buckle and he hit the floor in pain. He had to then be put in a wheelchair and taken to the locker room as it was an ugly scene for Orlando.

The injury affected the NBA world and it got the attention of Sixers forward Tobias Harris who tweeted out his thoughts and prayers towards a speedy recovery for Isaac.

The Sixers and the Magic face each other on Friday and it’s looking Isaac will not be present for that game due to this injury. [lawrence-related id=36041,36035,36027]

Hear Jonathan Isaac explain why he didn’t kneel during the national anthem in his own words

This is a lot.

Almost every player, coach and team personnel member in the NBA knelt during the national anthem throughout the start of the league’s opening weekend on Friday. Players from the four teams that played on Thursday did the same.

The only NBA player who did not take a knee during the national anthem was Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac.

Isaac stuck out like a sore thumb. Not only was Isaac not on his knees, he also chose not to wear the Black Lives Matter warmup shirts the NBA provided and he didn’t wear a social justice message on the back of his jersey.

The picture is absolutely jarring.

Isaac is well within his right to stand for the anthem, not wear the warmup shirt and even to forgo devoting the name on the back of his jersey to a cause he believes in.

That’s what the movement is all about — Black folks having the freedom to choose. He doesn’t have to do any of it.

Where things get tricky, though, is in his explanation of why he didn’t. Isaac was asked by Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks why he stood for the anthem instead of kneeling with his teammates. Here’s what he had to say.

“Kneeling or wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt didn’t go hand in hand with supporting Black lives…I believe that, for myself, my life has been supported through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that everyone is made in the image of God and that we all fall short of God’s glory. And that each and every one of us every day do things that we shouldn’t do. We say things we shouldn’t say. We hate and dislike whatever we hate and dislike. And sometimes, we get into pointing fingers.”

That’s a lot. Again, Isaac is well within his right to not participate in these acts of solidarity with his contemporaries.

He’s not the only one who didn’t kneel — neither did Gregg Popovich or Becky Hammon. He’s not the only one who didn’t change the back of his jersey. Neither did LeBron James. They all have their reasons as to why they aren’t.

But Isaac’s explanation uses religion to explain away racism and violence against Black people and people of color across America. And that’s highly questionable.

That’s why Rook’s follow up question was so important.

“I don’t think that kneeling or putting on a t-shirt, for me personally, is the answer. I feel like, for me, Black lives are supported through the Gospel. All lives are supported through the Gospel. We all…have things that we do wrong.” 

There you have it. Make of it what you will.

Garrett Temple nearly moved to tears by Nets, Magic kneeling together

During the National Anthem on Friday, the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic (aside from Jonathan Isaac) took a knee together.

Prior to the start of Friday’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic, the two teams worked as one.

Aside from Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac, every player and coach on both teams went down to one knee together during the playing of the National Anthem to protest brutality and support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Additionally, each member of Brooklyn’s roster has a social justice message on the backs of their uniforms, with the hope of maintaining the momentum that the ongoing movement in the United States has as the NBA resumes the 2019-20 season at Disney World.

Among those who’ve spoken about the matter with other players is Nets wing Garrett Temple. After Brooklyn’s 128-118 loss on Friday, he told reporters on a Zoom call that the moment pregame was a very emotional one for him, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post:

It almost brought me to tears. It meant a great deal for me with the background I’ve had, where I come from, what I believe in, what I think the platform allows us to do. It’s very powerful.

Conversely, Isaac expressed why he didn’t kneel after the game to reporters:

Brooklyn gets back to work on Sunday at 2 p.m. against the Washington Wizards.