Sixers mailbag: What’s next after James Harden trade?

Sixers mailbag: Who deserves a bigger role after Philadelphia’s shorthanded games?

The Sixers have played the last couple weeks of basketball short on multiple rotation pieces, including several starters who had to miss action as a result of COVID protocols. The obvious standout from those games was Tyrese Maxey, who even aside from his 39-point explosion has been important to Philadelphia keeping its head above water.

That said, the player who has really earned a bigger role — a player who didn’t have a role prior to this stretch of games — is Isaiah Joe, another Sixers rookie. The 49th overall pick on draft night, most expected Joe to spend this season glued to the bench. Now, Doc Rivers may need to keep him on the floor.

Over the past two games, Joe is 8-for-18 from the floor — all 18 shots coming from behind the 3-point line. Joe was a high-volume bomber in college, and he has continued to let it fly in the NBA. The Sixers are at their best with shooters around Joel Embiid. Joe can shoot the basketball as well as anyone on the roster, with the possible exclusion of Curry.

Joe has also been surprisingly competent on defense, a part of his game that was not advertised heavily coming out of Arkansas. He’s skinny and somewhat stiff, but the 6-foot-6 wing has managed to put together strong possessions on that side of the floor. He looks like a real rotation piece.

Right now, when healthy, Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey, Dwight Howard, and Furkan Korkmaz are locked into Philadelphia’s second unit. That 10th spot is up for grabs, with neither Mike Scott nor Matisse Thybulle making a particularly strong case. I would argue Joe deserves the chance to supplant both of them.