Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Joe is the shooter we thought he would be

Last season, the Philadelphia 76ers lacked perimeter scoring. This year they’ve added some solid shooters, including rookie Isaiah Joe.

The Sixers have one of the best records in the NBA. A combination of good coaching, defense, and improved shooting has elevated their play this year. In addition, the emergence of several players has brought early success for the team. One of those players is Isaiah Joe.

While all of the national attention is absorbed by Tyrese Maxey, and rightfully so, the Sixers’ second-round pick has quickly demonstrated that his game can also translate to the professional level. Just what has Joe done to garner respect from his teammates, coaches, and fans? How about these numbers?

In the last four games, he has averaged 14 points, shooting close to 40 percent. In that span, Joe has made 15-36 from beyond the arc. For any rookie to shoot 42 percent from three is astounding. Since the Atlanta game on Jan. 11, he’s shot 52 percent from deep. It seems he has picked up where Seth Curry left off, serving 3-pointers like fajitas on a sizzling pan from an Applebee’s waiter. Did anyone see this coming so early? Joe would probably respond in the affirmative and admit that all he needed was the opportunity.

Since multiple Sixers had to sit last week due to the team’s COVID-19 protocol and injuries, Isaiah Joe was afforded substantial playing time. While the Sixers’ primary sharpshooter — Seth Curry — sat out those games, Joe came in and helped give the team the necessary space to continue their collective offensive effectiveness. Once he became more of a perimeter threat each game, his value on the floor spiked. While playing 32 minutes per game in this stretch, his average of nine attempts from beyond the arc is second to only 13-year-veteran Danny Green.

When I first wrote about Joe before the season, I was doubtful he would earn enough time to showcase his shooting touch. During his first few games, he seemed overwhelmed and could not find his stroke.

Since then, if you analyze the shots he has taken, it is safe to infer that he is now unafraid of the NBA bright lights.  Essentially, because of the roster emergency, he was thrown into the deep end and challenged to sink or swim. So far, he’s navigating the waters just fine.

Now, he is a player who shoots with confidence, which has been missing from the Sixers  since J.J Redick was last here. In addition, his ability to use pick-and-rolls to create space and pull up has been nice to see. More impressively, his catch-and-shoot skills seem as natural as his shooting form. His interior game needs work and his defense must improve, but Joe is growing right before our eyes. There is an issue though that Doc Rivers must resolve soon regarding the emerging rookie.

Will Joe still have minutes to play when Furkan Korkmaz returns? This dilemma is a good one that Rivers expressed after the second Miami win. In his interview, he expressed that the depth problem he has on his roster is a good one to have. The plethora of shooters the Sixers have now with Curry, Green, and Joe has turned into a pleasant dream for Philly and a defensive nightmare for their opponents. Adding Korkmaz when he returns is just another shooter to grant Joel Embiid more room to operate. However, is Joe’s development and hot shooting more beneficial to the Sixers than Korkmaz’s return to the rotation?

As much as I have enjoyed Korkmaz’s growth the last two years, I predict that Isaiah Joe will maintain a level of playing time to further advance his development. If you compare the two players, Joe appears to have a quicker release and a more decisive reaction to the defenses, especially coming off screens. Where Korkmaz seems reluctant at times and defers, Joe already demonstrates a certainty within the offense that is uncommon for a rookie.

"“You know he has an NBA shot. You can see that, and he has deep range. You can see that.” – Doc Rivers on Isaiah Joe"

Whatever the case, Isaiah Joe deserves a round of applause for rapidly adapting to the NBA. The small sample of games will cause some to offer more prudent opinions of the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-year guard, but I see a player who is hungry for a spot in the rotation. Will he be fed minutes? Doc Rivers will let us know soon enough.