The case against Jonathan Isaac

Jonathan Isaac is a favorite projection by many experts to be drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Fans, scouts, and draft experts alike have begun to fall in love with Jonathan Isaac. They have become enamored with the potential he brings to this Timberwolves team and how great of a fit he would be.

In my recent Ultimate Timberwolves draft guide 1.0, all but one of the experts predicted the Minnesota Timberwolves to select Jonathan Isaac.

Twitter is also all aboard the Jonathan Isaac bandwagon:

It’s tough to not fall in love with the kid and the talent that he brings to the floor. I mean, he’s a 6-foot-11 forward with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and reminds people about a certain hall of famer who was drafted fifth overall by the Timberwolves in 1995.

Related Story: Minnesota Timberwolves draft profile: Jonathan Isaac

You can click on the link above to get a more in-depth scouting analysis on Jonathan Isaac, as I won’t go into many of those details here.

What I will get into, though, is the case against Jonathan Isaac being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before I dive in, however, it’s important to note that I am not advocating against Isaac, I’m simply sharing the other side of the story.

As we all know, we can sometimes get too caught up in a prospect and what they bring to the table without looking at their weaknesses. I’m always a glass half-full type of guy but in this instance, I will highlight the glass as half-empty.

Isaac’s biggest weakness is also the biggest reason why he would be a bad fit with the Timberwolves, his inability to score the basketball.

Even though the Timberwolves were in the top half of the league in points per game last season, they still need complimentary scorers to surround Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Right now they carry such a heavy burden as they are the only three players who can reliably score night in and night out.

Jonathan Isaac would do nothing to help alleviate that concern. He only averaged 12 points per game last season at Florida State and I expect that number to dip some more during his first year in the NBA. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Isaac average around 7 or 8 points per game next season.

HIs 3-point shooting also needs improvement. He shot 34.8 percent last season from downtown, which isn’t awful. However, he will be a below-average 3-point shooter joining a Timberwolves team full of below-average 3-point shooters.

The Ringer’s Draft Guide also questions his hands, stating that he “Doesn’t have strong hands. Bobbles a lot of passes.”

That can be worrisome, especially for a player who doesn’t excel at creating his own shots. A lot of Isaac’s scoring will come from being set up by his teammates, especially with Ricky Rubio on the floor.

If he struggles to catch passes, he will lose the trust of his teammates before he even gains it.

They also question his shot selection.

As it stands, the Minnesota Timberwolves have problems spreading the ball around within their big three. Add in a below-average offensive player who may chuck up unnecessary shots and it will create a lot of tension and frustration within the Timberwolves locker room.

Defense is where fans get the most excited about Jonathan Isaac. He has exceptional length which will help him disrupt ball-handlers and passing lanes.

On the flip side though, he is not nearly strong enough to bang with the majority of power forwards down low. At 205 pounds, there is a world where Isaac is too weak and gets bullied in the paint, thus limiting the effectiveness of his length.

At the end of the day, it is likely that Jonathan Isaac will at least turn into a D-and-3 player. He also has the potential to refine his skills and develop into so much more.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves All-Time starting 5

However, it isn’t inconceivable that his weaknesses become more glaring at the NBA level and he isn’t able to take the next step in his game. Thus, making him far from a lock in the NBA.