This is just a punch to the gut.

After missing two full seasons due to knee injuries, the Magic’s Jonathan Isaac returned to the court in January. Unfortunately that lasted all of 11 games before he tore his left adductor muscle, which will require surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the season, the team announced.

“Our thoughts are with Jonathan, whose fortitude in dealing with adversity is unique,” Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “Jonathan has worked extremely hard to return to the court this season and has demonstrated his impact on our team. We will be by his side as he focuses on the work ahead.”

The good news is this is an injury he should be able to recover from in time for next season. In the fewer than a dozen games he got to play, Isaac started to show some of the elite defensive skills that had the Magic thinking he was a cornerstone player three years ago.

However, injuries derailed that plan, at least for a while. Isaac played in the bubble in 2020 after missing much of that pandemic-ravaged season due to a knee injury. However, in the bubble Isaac tore his ACL. He had another surgery the following March after a setback. It took 904 days for Isaac to get back on the court again this season.