2017 NBA Mock Draft: The final predictions

The perfect marriage between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac may have to wait as the draft history of the Orlando Magic’s new front office suggests they could throw a wrinkle in those plans. General manager John Hammond has shown a preference for players with extraordinary length at their position and drafted both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker during his time at the head of the Milwaukee Bucks. Isaac fits a similar mold even if he’s not a direct comparison to either player.

Isaac is a 6-foot-11 combo forward with elite defensive numbers and a solid chance to be a good role-player on the offensive end in the NBA. He averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.8 steals per 40 minutes as a freshman and shows nice movement in space. There is some upside where he can play center for small ball lineups as well with the way the league has been trending. On offense, Isaac isn’t a great individual creator, but he can attack in a straight line and does knock down a decent percentage of his 3-point attempts. He doesn’t demand the ball in the way others might, which is nice when considering how he’ll fit on a roster.

Fit is the only real concern with this selection. The Magic already have Aaron Gordon in a sort of combo forward role and the experiment of playing him at the small forward spot full time didn’t go well early this season. So, Orlando will need to figure out their path forward should they end up with both Gordon and Isaac on the roster.

Learn more about Jonathan Isaac at The Step Back.