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Is the Orlando Magic's defensive answer stuck on their bench?
Oct 29, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Orlando Magic players celebrates a three-point basket in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Is the Orlando Magic's defensive answer stuck on their bench?

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Austin Dobbins  |  Last updated Oct 30, 2025 10:15 AM ET

Under Coach Mosley the Orlando Magic's foundation has always been defense. They were top 3 defensively in back-to-back seasons and built the blueprint for future success. Adding Desmond Bane, a capable two-way player was supposed to be like adding to a well-oiled machine, but so far it has been anything but that.

The Magic have began their season at 1-4 while giving up 122.6 points per game. The Magic's ability to clog the passing lanes and generate steals, depleted (29th ranked with 6.2 steals per game), and while the offense is churning, the very thing that Coach Mosley built is letting them down.

The Magic are struggling at the point of attack, struggling on all levels and have already reached numbers they didn't last season. The Magic have given up 121 (in a win), 110, 136, and 135 points. The Magic didn’t allow 130+ once last year and allowed 120+ only 9 times.

Now that brings my question and possible solution to Coach Mosley. The Magic have a really good defender on their roster, finally healthy, and he has played 19 minutes in 5 games. This player also makes $15 million dollars, while a second-round rookie Noah Penda gets more run (19 minutes in 2 games).

The player in reference here is Jonathan Isaac, a crucial role player who embodies the Magic's defensive tenacity, and in his career averages a steal and a block per game on limited minutes.

Now Isaac is not a great offensive option and certainly is on the older side of the Magic's roster, but someone with such potential and defensive prowess (even if he lost a step) could certainly help make an impact for the Magic right now.

If the Magic are going to continue to roster Isaac as a non-impact player, and let a $15 million dollar man ride the pine, it would be best to move him, but for now, help rebuild the defensive foundation that helped the Magic get here in the first place, and let the defense set the tone.

Because right now, the identity that defined this team is fading fast. The Magic don’t have to reinvent themselves offensively, they’ve got the young firepower, they’ve got Banchero and Wagner taking steps forward -- but what made them dangerous was their ability to make teams uncomfortable. To swarm. To frustrate. To turn every possession into a battle. That edge has dulled.

Jonathan Isaac may not fix everything, but he represents what this team used to be, long, switchable, relentless, and proud of its defensive grit. Even in short bursts, his presence could re-establish accountability and urgency. If Mosley truly wants to turn things around, it starts with setting that defensive tone again.

This early-season slump doesn’t have to define them. The Magic have the tools, the culture, and the personnel to get back to what made them special. But it will require tough decisions and one of those might simply be trusting a player who was built for this exact moment.

And if you don't believe in that guy anymore, maybe it's time to package him off to another team.

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This article first appeared on Orlando Magic on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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