For quite some time now, the Philadelphia 76ers have become one of the worse teams in the league when it comes to generating and draining three-point shots. In the last two seasons, they have been near the bottom of the association in both three-point attempts and makes, while their percentage has only been average at best.
Their perimeter shooting was especially problematic last season. As their scoring attack sputtered thanks to the absence of their key players due to their respective injuries, the 76ers’ offense became stale since most of their role players were also far from being reliable sharpshooters.
To make matters worse, the front office did not really do much to address that issue. Their best three-point shooter from last season, Eric Gordon, is not really someone who can be trusted to man such an important role next season due to his age. Meanwhile, Quentin Grimes is still technically a free agent, and the front office cannot get cookie points for that.
That makes the front office’s decision from a few years ago to part ways with Isaiah Joe all the more puzzling. He has thrived in the last three seasons with the Thunder, even playing a vital role for them en route to their championship run a few months ago.
The 76ers committed a grave error in cutting ties with Isaiah Joe
Joe, whom the 76ers drafted with the 49th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, only spent a couple of seasons in Philadelphia. He never got a major role, averaging just a hair above 10 minutes per contest with the 76ers, but he definitely showed glimpses of being a capable high-volume three-point shooter in the league.
That part of his game, which is his main selling point, was realized when he landed in Oklahoma City. He has canned a staggering 41.2 percent of his three-point shots for the last three campaigns, all with the Thunder, emerging as one of their most important role players. His shooting has also held up well in the postseason.
Had the 76ers kept Joe, they could have had an ideal role player who does not cost an arm and a leg. Instead, the front office has resorted to unattractive options to fill such a crucial role, and obviously, it has not panned out.
This is just one of the many mistakes the Philadelphia 76ers have made over the years, but given what they currently lack on the roster, their decision to not invest in Isaiah Joe is definitely a terrible one in hindsight.
Just like that, the 76ers rewarded the Thunder yet again.