Sixers: Isaiah Joe deserves more backup guard minutes

The Sixers‘ starting five is one of the best in the league. The bench roster on the other hand has been exposed recently for being thin. With just a few weeks left before the playoffs begin, Doc Rivers should give Isaiah Joe more minutes and see if he can break into the playoff rotation as a shooter.

Currently, the Sixers bench guards that see consistent bench minutes are Shake Milton, Danny Green, and Furkan Korkmaz. Shake provides a spark and can create his own shot which is a valuable skill, especially on this team. Green has a history of being a reliable 3-and-D player, although this year that has not much been the case and he is struggling. And Korkmaz is shooting under 39 percent from the field and under 30 percent from deep. He is supposed to be a shooter and he can’t seem to find the bottom of the net this season.

Isaiah Joe is in his second year in the NBA and was selected in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He has not seen much meaningful playing time even though he is a high volume, efficient shooter, specifically from 3-point range.

Isaiah Joe deserves a chance to stick in the Sixers’ rotation ahead of the playoffs

With James Harden facilitating at an elite level, every player on the floor is finding themselves shooting open shots. That even includes Matisse Thybulle, who has a deserved reputation of not being a great shooter. Imagine giving Joe the kind of shooting space that Harden is creating for others who are not capitalizing on it.

A knockdown 3-point shooter is needed off the bench for this team succeed in the playoffs. Joe was drafted as a floor spacer due to his proficient shooting in his two seasons at Arkansas and giving him a chance could be a win-win situation.

Worst case scenario, Joe does not live up to his potential or is not ready to contribute this playoffs and he goes back to the bench. But why not take a shot at improving your title odds in the next few weeks fine tuning before the games that matter are upon us. The players ahead of him on the depth chart aren’t producing, so let’s see what he’s got.