Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Joe could earn minutes as rookie

The Philadelphia 76ers need shooting, and by golly, Isaiah Joe can shoot it.

The least surprising moment of draft night was when Isaiah Joe‘s name was called for the Philadelphia 76ers. A promise had long been rumored, and the Sixers’ need for shooters made the fit a little too obvious.

If anything, the only surprise was Joe’s availability at 49. Many expected the Sixers to select him 34th or 36th, but both picks were traded in the process of unloading Al Horford and Josh Richardson. Joe inevitably fell, and many plugged-in draftniks expected him to. But he absolutely shouldn’t have.

Joe was the 26th-ranked prospect on my big board. He earned a first-round grade on talent alone. When you factor in team fit, he was of even greater value to the Sixers. Joe could quickly establish himself as the best shooter in the draft, even eclipsing the likes of Aaron Nesmith and Desmond Bane, who were first-round picks.

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As a sophomore, Joe sunk only 34.2 percent of his 3-point attempts, but he did so on 10.6 attempts per game. That volume requires an absurd amount of confidence, and frankly, an absurd amount of ability. He would not be allowed to take that many shots if it weren’t a good use of Arkansas’ offensive real estate.

For good measure, Joe hit 41.2 percent of his 8.0 attempts per game as a freshman. It’s clear Joe can shoot both efficiently and prolifically. He’s a quick trigger, moving freely off-ball and showing no hesitation when afforded a half-decent look at the rim. The Sixers desperately need a player with Joe’s decisiveness.

The 2019-20 Sixers were a brutally ineffective conglomeration of snail-paced decision-makers. Josh Richardson and Tobias Harris — meant to operate as Philadelphia’s primary spacers — consistently passed up open 3s in favor of meandering dribbles and contested long-twos. Al Horford was a fish out of water. Neither Joel Embiid nor Ben Simmons are sharp enough in the halfcourt to overcome three players actively impeding their spacing and bungling their shot creation.

This season, the Sixers have added two high-level shooters to the starting five — Danny Green and Seth Curry — while adding legitimate playmakers to the second unit in Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey. There’s a ways left to go, but the team is much more functionally built than it was two weeks ago.

Joe could help contribute to Philadelphia’s forthcoming growth right away. In fact, Joe could make fairly quick work of a Brett Brown-style competition for minutes. While both Furkan Korkmaz and Mike Scott have their moments, neither is particularly consistent. If Joe hits 3s at the rate he’s known for and he isn’t completely obliterated on defense, he could emerge as the most favorable ninth or 10th man.

It’s reasonable to expect Doc Rivers to have four players locked into his second unit: Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey, and Dwight Howard. In the regular season, it’s wise to go deeper into the bench, if only for explorative purposes. The Sixers need to see what they have.

Expect Korkmaz and Scott to get a chance to earn minutes. But, if Joe is given that same opportunity, it’s wholly possible that he takes advantage. Embiid and Simmons are at their best when surrounded by bombers. They made the J.J. Redick-Marco Belinelli duo work, for chrissake. Joe should have no problem benefiting from Embiid and Simmons’ gravity, and vice versa.

Rookies are inherently difficult to project. More often than not, prospects need time to adjust to the NBA’s physicality. Joe is built thin and could have trouble holding up defensively. He also has a noteworthy injury record. He shouldn’t have dropped to 49, but there’s a reason he did — however poorly adjudicated it was.

With a shortened preseason due to COVID, it could be even more difficult for rookies to get up to speed. We have NBA games in under a month, and Joe will need to learn an entirely new set of teammates and coaches, all while making sure he can battle NBA athletes.

Joe isn’t first in line for minutes, and there’s no guarantee he pans out. But Joe received a first-round grade on my draft board for a reason. He’s a potentially generational shooting talent, and that alone carries tremendous weight in the modern NBA. Doc Rivers should give him a chance.