What was Jonathan Isaac's injury as he played his first game after 892 days?
Jonathan Isaac finally made his return to the court Wednesday night suiting for the G League's Lakeland Magic. Isaac was out for 892 days, missing two complete seasons since 2020. The young forward suffered a severe knee injury, tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament, in August 2020 during the infamous NBA bubble.
Now playing his first game since 2020, Isaac seems to be comfortable playing on the court again. The Lakeland Magic beat the Westchester Knicks 129-117. Isaac scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 14 minutes of play. Rust wasn't an issue for the Magic forward, as he participated in Orlando's practices earlier in the season.
According to Jonathan, he isn't sure what's next for him. He's just glad to be back on the floor playing the sport he loves. Isaac also said that he doesn't mind playing another G League game. What matters to him is that he's able to play ball once again:
“I’ll talk to the training staff about what we’re going to do," Isaac said. "I’m glad I got this one under my belt. Whether I play another G League game or not, I’m just excited to be moving forward. I’m sure if I play again here, it’ll be for more minutes. We’ll just continue to push it and then see where it goes from there.”
Looking back at Jonathan Isaac's NBA journey
Jonathan Isaac was the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft selected by the Orlando Magic.
Isaac played only a few seasons before suffering an injury that nearly ended his career. Looking back at his rookie year, he proved to be a defensive threat in the league. In the 2017-18 season, he averaged 5.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
He was able to maintain similar stats in his second year. It's a shame, though, that his third season was cut short. Jonathan Isaac had his best defensive season, averaging more than ten points per game. In the 2019-20 campaign, he averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals. He was a defensive beast the Magic missed in the NBA bubble.
Now awaiting his NBA return, Jonathan Issac will go through a series of tests in the G League. Orlando is being cautious with him for now, as he has just returned from a devastating injury. They will hope that he picks up from where he left off when he returns to the main roster.