One of the best shooters in the 2020 NBA Draft, Isaiah Joe, could be one of the Sixers’ second-round picks.
The University of Arkansas basketball program is a quiet NBA factory, with players like Patrick Beverley and Bobby Portis calling the program their alma mater. This year, the Razorbacks had one of the best players in the nation and SEC co-player of the year Mason Jones. Despite winning the award, Jones is not the Razorback’s best prospect. In fact, Jones isn’t even projected to be drafted.
The honor of being Arkansas’ top prospect belongs to 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard Isaiah Joe.
Joe is projected to be a mid to late second-round pick in the draft but has plenty of potential — especially as a shooter. He is one of the best shooters in the draft — on my list, he is second, only behind Desmond Bane, who we profiled earlier. Isaiah Joe is not the same all-around prospect that Bane is, but he can add shooting to teams who need it.
Sixers, anyone?
The Sixers have plenty of second-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, and while I don’t expect them to keep all of their picks, Joe could be someone who finds himself in a Philadelphia 76ers or Delaware Blue Coats uniform next year. He needs to grow his game, but the raw skills are there for Joe to be a successful role player in the league.
Strengths
Isaiah Joe’s greatest strength is undoubtedly his shooting. Whether it be off the dribble, off the catch, stepping back, or to the side, Joe can hit the shot. His best shoot comes off the catch. Joe has a picturesque form and rarely gets blocked. He consistently hit big shots this year against some of the SEC’s biggest competition. Joe also shot nearly 90 percent from the free-throw line this season. Plain and simple — the man can shoot the basketball with unlimited range.
He also possesses excellent court vision. Despite turning the ball over more often than you would like to see, the potential for Joe to put up terrific assist numbers is there.
Joe is a decent athlete. He shows bursts of athleticism when he needs to but it is definitely an area where Joe should focus his attention. Improving his leaping ability is critical for his development on the defensive end.
Although being a bit small and wiry, Joe can score in the paint. There were only four games this year he failed to reach double figures in points. Adding on some muscle would allow him to score in the paint even more. Additionally, this would let him show off his tremendous form from the line. His low weight is the bulk of Joe’s problems.
Weaknesses
Weight. Weight. Weight.
While Joe excels at shooting and scoring the basketball, he struggles in other areas. He gets bullied defensively but has a great ability to recover, which certainly does not make him a good defender, but one who is not a liability.
As I mentioned earlier, Joe isn’t a great athlete. He has average speed and leaping ability. Offensively he does have his weaknesses despite his insane shooting ability. When he gets to the rim he finishes but he doesn’t get there often because of — you guessed it — his weight. He has good size and long arms but he cannot get himself into the paint because of his small size.
In the NBA, his recovery ability won’t be the same as college, which will cause him to lose playing time. For Joe to make a significant impact in the NBA, he needs to add muscle.
While weight is not everything in the NBA, it does help. Other than weight related issues, Joe has more weaknesses. His movement off the ball is strange. He moves extraordinarily well beyond the 3-point line, but when he goes through the lane, he does not look for the ball. Maybe it is a psychological thing, but this is something that needs to change for Joe to be successful in the NBA.
Fit with Sixers
Joe fits the Sixers well. Obviously, the Sixers need shooters, and that’s exactly what Joe provides. The Sixers are one of the better fits for him, seeing how the paint is usually full of Sixers anyway, he doesn’t need to be able to get into the paint as well as he would on other teams.
That being said, he isn’t a perfect fit. He will struggle defensively at first in the league. He won’t grab many offensive rebounds nor will he be a big contributor other than from deep. He’s a quality catch and shoot player and would be a good option for a late second-round pick.
A couple years in the G-League could be huge for Joe. We’ve all seen the growth in Marial Shayok this year and how the G-League helped his growth — landing him a spot in Orlando. Joe could be the same thing. Shayok was picked late in the second round, around the same spot the Sixers could take Joe. A year in the G-League working on building muscle and improving his game would be huge for Joe. He would also be able to improve on executing with the court vision I mentioned earlier.