* Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the author(s) and don’t
represent the opinions of the Celtics front office.
By Taylor C. Snow | @taylorcsnow
The Florida State Seminoles were placed back on the map this season following a
four-year absence from the NCAA Tournament. The presence of big man Jonathan
Isaac was a major reason behind their success. The 6-foot-10 freshman led FSU to
a 26-9 record – the program’s winningest mark in 45 years – while pacing the
team in rebounding and shot blocking. He guided the third-seeded Noles to the
second round of the NCAA Tournament, during which he averaged 12.5 points, 11.0
rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Now that Isaac has
helped put the Seminoles back in the limelight, he’s ready to make a name for
himself at the next level – the NBA.
By Marc D’Amico | @Marc_DAmico
Possessions Scouted from 2016-17 Season: OFFENSE: 22.7 percent of possessions
DEFENSE: 25.3 percent of possessions
Jonathan Isaac is a long and thin hybrid forward who fits well into the future
of the NBA frontcourt. He is already a good shooter, and that’s without a clean
release and strong follow through. He’ll only improve. Isaac is thin but is
stronger than he looks but doesn’t finish well, particularly through contact. He
gathers himself and sets a great base on his jumper and rises vertically. He has
not played much in the post but I see potential there; his combination of length
and shooting ability, along with his body control, should allow him to score in
the post after he adds strength. He has a very quick step off the dribble from
the perimeter. He’s an impressive ball handler. I don’t love his hands or his
overall balance, but I think they can improve to a point where they won’t stand
out as negatives. Isaac’s combination of length, intelligence, good feet and
activity allow him to be a dangerous defender. He’s versatile both offensively
and defensively. He’s better with his hands defensively than offensively,
allowing him to rack up steals and blocks. He gives great effort and has very
good timing. He communicates well with teammates. Defending the post will be an
issue early on for him but he’ll handle his own with added strength. Overall,
Isaac has one of the higher upsides in this draft class. He still has quite a
bit of potential and if he comes anywhere near reaching it, he’ll be a
high-level starter in this league.
By Taylor C. Snow | @taylorcsnow
Jonathan Isaac was born Oct. 3, 1997 in The Bronx, New York. He is the
fourth-oldest of six children born to Jackie Allen. Isaac attended three
different high schools during his youth. He spent his freshman and sophomore
years at Barron Collier High School in Naples, Florida, then transferred to the
International School in Hollywood, Florida for his junior and senior years, and
then spent a postgrad year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Isaac led the
state of Florida in scoring during his senior season in 2014-15 when he averaged
29.5 points per game to go along with 9.0 rebounds per game. He then tallied
17.6 PPG and 10.0 RPG during his postgrad season at IMG. Isaac considered
declaring for the 2016 NBA Draft following his postgrad year, but opted to go to
Florida State instead. He was the No. 1 ranked recruit out of Florida for the
class of 2016, and was ranked No. 8 in the nation by Rivals and No. 9 by both
ESPN and Scout. During his lone season at FSU, Isaac averaged 12.0 PPG, to go
along with team-leading tallies of 7.8 RPG (seventh in ACC) and 1.5 blocks per
game (fifth in ACC). He also shot 50.8 percent from the field, including 34.8
percent from 3-point range. Isaac led the Seminoles to a 26-9 record, which
marked the second-winningest season in program history (28-5 in 1971-72). He
logged eight double-doubles on the season and became the first Seminole in 22
years to have three consecutive double-doubles. His top performance of the
campaign came on Jan. 18, 2017, when he recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds and
seven blocks against No. 15 Notre Dame. Isaac helped FSU earn a No. 3 seed in
the NCAA tournament. He notched 17 points, 10 rebounds, a season-high five
assists, three blocks and two steals during the Noles’ opening-round win over
Florida Gulf Coast University. During the second round, however, 11-seeded
Xavier University limited Isaac to eight points, 12 boards and turned him over
five times, as FSU was upset in blowout fashion, 91-66. Isaac declared for the
NBA Draft on March 24, six days after the Seminoles’ season ended.
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/celtics/draft/profile-jonathan-isaac
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Boston Celtics, Boston Celtics
Media Thumbnail:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/celtics/sites/default/files/jonathan-issac-970×44
2.jpg
Taxonomy: NBA Draft, Draft Profile Series
Story Link: http://www.nba.com/celtics/draft/profile-jonathan-isaac
