Sixers: Ranking every bench player in order of importance

Ranking every Sixers bench player — 9. Isaiah Joe

Isaiah Joe might be the best pure shooter on the roster. Before last season, he earned first-round grades on my draft board. He’s a legitimate prospect, and the kind who — on paper — can help the Sixers a lot in his sophomore season. Last season, he averaged 10.0 attempts per 36 minutes from 3-point range. That kind of volume outstrips even Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz.

With flashes of defensive improvement as a rookie, there’s a real case for Joe to get extended opportunities in 2021-22. I’m not sure I trust Doc Rivers to provide him with said opportunities, but the Sixers need volume shooters, and Joe is a damn good one.

Ranking every Sixers bench player — 8. Jaden Springer

The reigning 28th pick will need some time to get up to speed at the next level, but the 18-year-old still has bankable day-one skills. First and foremost, he was an elite perimeter defender at Tennessee, and should catch Doc Rivers’ eye with his relentless activity and acute awareness.

On offense, Springer has a few more question marks, but he’s an efficient low-volume shooter and snappy decision-maker. He fits nicely as an off-ball guard who can beat closeouts, swing the ball around, and finish with strength at the cup. He was a borderline lottery prospect in this writer’s opinion. Like Maxey last season, he could show up earlier than expected.

Ranking every Sixers bench player — 7. Paul Reed

You will not find a more ardent believer in Paul Reed. He won G-League MVP as a rookie and looked the part of an NBA talent on both sides of the ball. He is primed to dominant the Vegas Summer League and make real progress in the Sixers’ second unit next season.

Reed can do things very unique to a 6-foot-9 big. He can handle and move like a wing, and there is video evidence of him doing very cool things with the basketball in Summer League practice. On a more serious note, he’s a long, disruptive defender with real pick-and-pop potential. Were it not for the flashy Andre Drummond signing, he might be in the conversation for backup center minutes.