After leading the NBA in blocks in his rookie season, Victor Wembanyama is poised to become a perennial contender for Defensive Player of the Year over the next decade.
And, while Wembanyama’s defensive upside is through the roof, that doesn’t mean the path to DPOY will be any easier year after year. NBA expert Mo Dakhil of the Athletic already has a certain player in mind who he believes can compete with the San Antonio Spurs big man for the individual award.
Dakhil, a former video coordinator for the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers and contributor for Bleacher Report and the Athletic, shared on X a 40-second video of Jonathan Isaac’s defensive highlights against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dakhil even claimed in the caption that the Orlando Magic forward might have a real shot at competing with Wembanyama for Defensive Player of the Year next season.
“Jonathan Isaac might be a real competitor next season to Wemby for DPOY next season if he gets regular start minutes,” Dakhil stated on his X post last April 15.
NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer reposted Dakhil’s post and agreed that Isaac would be a lock for All-Defensive team if he gets more playing time next season.
“Jonathan Isaac is a lock for All-Defense (if he gets starter minutes like @MoDakhil_NBA said,” O’Connor said in his repost.
Jonathan Isaac is the “Best Defensive Player in the World”
Dakhil and O’Connor weren’t the first pair of NBA analysts who recognized Isaac’s defensive prowess.
In an episode of the Lowe Post, Sr. NBA analysts Zach Lowe and David Thorpe of ESPN discussed Isaac’s defensive masterclass for the Magic with Lowe even calling it the “most exciting thing happening in the NBA right now.”
“It’s the most exciting thing happening in the NBA right now,” Lowe said in the Lowe Podcast on April 1. “You watch the Magic, and this dude is hitting threes. he’s more comfortable off the dribble, and his defense is like having seven defensive players on the floor.”
Thorpe agreed with Lowe on Isaac, even suggesting that the Magic forward may be better than Wembayama in his current version due to his quickness, which allows him to stay in front of shifty guards and wingmen.
Isaac, a 6-foot-11 forward with a 7’11 wingspan, averaged 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 0.7 steals in just 15 minutes per game in the regular season, per ESPN stats/info.
Despite his elite defensive acumen, Isaac has been criticized for being injury-prone. He played just 69 games over the last two seasons after undergoing multiple surgeries to repair a torn ACL and then a torn left adductor muscle.
Jonathan Isaac – A Possible Free Agent
Isaac, 26, will enter the final year of a four-year, $69 million deal he signed with the Magic in 2021.
Many analysts believed he could hit the free agency market this summer because year 4 of his deal worth $17 million is non-guaranteed.
The Magic are rumored to pursue several shooters in the free agency market, which could require freeing up several non-guaranteed deals on their payroll, including that of Isaac.
The Spurs will also have a significant cap space this summer. Many basketball pundits believe the Spurs’ top objective should be to improve their backcourt, but a Wembanyama-Isaac frontcourt tandem would be a frightening sight for the league.
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