Orlando, FL - 904 days in the making.

January 23rd was truly a surreal experience. Amway Center made it difficult to ever forget being a part of a night as vibrant and hyped as the Magic’s third season win against the league-best Boston Celtics. Jonathan Isaac was drafted 6th overall in 2017 by the Orlando Magic, the first major draft selection of the current Weltman and Hammond regime. 

After trading for Bol Bol and drafting Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, it is safe to say they have molded their roster to match the tendencies and characteristics of Isaac — lengthy, yet maintains above average guard skills for a near seven footer. Some may call him a blueprint to the rebuild, and a key contributor to the future of the organization. Some have written him off completely. Tonight has proven many wrong, without a doubt.

With over two and a half NBA seasons missed, Isaac was certain to come back rusty. Many were expecting a weak box score from the 6’11 forward, especially since Coach Mosley had told the media pregame that Isaac would only play 8-10 minutes on Monday night. Of course, as everyone completely and realistically expected, Isaac came out and looked like the Magic best player right off the bat. With every Jonathan Isaac touch, every board, jump shot, and steal, the crowd went wild.

Fan reception was nothing short of exceptional for Isaac’s long awaited return. Amidst the green haze of Boston fans, the home crowd erupted when Isaac checked into the game in the 1st quarter. His return is nothing short of a feel-good story, for all sports fans alike. Though this game certainly witnessed some prior hostility (ahem, Eddie House) between the fanbases, I must give credit where credit is due. From where the media was seated, there were countless Celtics fans up on their feet cheering for Isaac’s return. Truly a moment of respect and peace for a man who worked through years of recovery to see the floor again.

Isaac played just under 10 minutes and scored 10 points on 4/7 shooting, including 2/3 from three-point range. The Magic HQ fanbase was asked how they would rate Isaac’s performance on a scale of 1 to 10. Here are just a few of the responses that describe his return perfectly:

“11. Seriously. No one expected in 2 - 5 minute stints that he would come in & hustle, guard Tatum & Brown. Shoot the 3. Rebound & bang download. Steal the ball & tip passes away. No one expected any of that tonight. He gets a 10+ for bringing it after 3 years.” - @MagicStreetTalk / Twitter

“Definitely a 10! J.I. had a stellar performance tonight besides his minutes restriction.” - @rjortiz26 / Twitter

“50.” - @BrandonKravitz / Twitter

In regular news, the Magic stomped the Boston Celtics for the third time in a row. A flurry of “Let’s Go Celtics” chants were satisfyingly muzzled in Amway as the 4th quarter approached. The team’s mixture of elite rim defense, which forced 46 Boston three-point attempts, and efficient offense led to Monday’s win.

Being the man of the hour, Isaac was ready and available to speak to the media postgame. I was able to ask Jonathan what he sees in this team now that he’s getting to share the court with a bunch of “new” players, rather than seeing them play from the outside in.

“We’re barely scratching the surface of what this team is gonna be. I think the sky’s the limit (for us). What the Magic have been able to do with this young roster with me out, with Kelle out for some time, I think is extraordinary.”

Jonathan also stated in an earlier segment of the media that he believes Monday night “takes the cake” as the greatest moment he’s had in his young career.  Emotions of joy and anticipation are simply at an all-time high for the Magic, not just in the locker room and in the fanbase as well. It’s truly never felt better to be a Magic fan and watch this team play winning basketball while fully healthy. 

The Magic have a golden opportunity to make this two straight wins and further increase their play-in push. Indiana comes into town tomorrow night, Wednesday the 25th, on the second night of a back-to-back. It’s time to see what this Magic squad is truly all about.