Expected to be one of the most exciting rookies out of this talented draft class after being selected 6th overall, Jonathan Isaac’s first campaign hasn’t panned out as expected. A lot of that has to do with injury rather than on-court play however, as the 20-year-old suffered an early setback with an ankle injury.
The injury was sustained during the Magic’s November 11th matchup against the Denver Nuggets and the rookie hasn’t seen the court since. On Saturday, the team provided an update on Isaac’s status, revealing that he will be placed in an injury rehabilitation and conditioning program:
Jonathan Isaac will be placed in an injury rehabilitation and conditioning program and will be out indefinitely. His return to play will depend on how he responds to the program.
Isaac originally suffered a sprained right ankle on Nov. 11 at DEN and has missed 20 games.
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) December 30, 2017
Obviously, this is a major blow for Jonathan Isaac and the Orlando Magic organization who hoped to see their exciting rookie perform at a high level. Now, it appears his season may be in jeopardy depending on how well his ankle responds to the program laid out for him.
Frank Vogel explained the decision to place Isaac in this program, saying he doesn’t want the Florida State product risking a re-injury, something no one wants in this situation. Following from Orlando Sentinel’s Josh Robbins:
Vogel on the decision to hold out Isaac: “It’s really just about getting him to where he’s at his best and not yo-yoing him in and out of games and having him re-tweak it. [We want to] strengthen the ankle & strengthen his legs & conditioning so that it’s not an issue anymore.”
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) December 30, 2017
