Former Sixer Isaiah Joe becomes a key player for the title contender Oklahoma City Thunder

Isaiah Joe hit a 3-pointer from the corner in the final minute of Tuesday’s first quarter and saw the ball go through the net in front of the 76ers‘ bank he once occupied.

That shot is an example of what Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Alex Caruso calls Joe’s “superhero trait.” However, Joe, a 25-year-old guard, has become much more than a lethal long-range shooter with the Thunder, who scooped him up after the Sixers released him just before the start of the 2022-23 season. Joe finished with 10 points and made 4 of 8 shots in his last return to Philadelphia. a 118-102 Oklahoma City victory about the few Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center. His transformation epitomizes a young Thunder team that has transformed into a legitimate NBA title contender.

“He plays different roles (and) doesn’t flinch, regardless of the circumstances,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Joe. “Play the character every night. Very consistent as a worker, as a person, as a player. …

“And I’ve said it many times, but he’s labeled a shooter because of how well he shoots, but he has a well-rounded game.”

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During his 20 minutes and 53 seconds on Tuesday, Joe freed himself up for easy baskets by cutting for a dunk and then running down the court for a transition hit. He threw a pass to Lu Dort for a fast break layup. When he hit a deep shot from the right wing that gave Oklahoma City a 106-92 lead with 5:49 left en route to a 33rd win in 39 games, he flashed three fingers in celebration. Joe was the Thunder’s only rotation reserve to finish with a positive plus/minus.

That was a taste of the ways Joe helps the Western Conference’s top team, a topic Daigneault said he had discussed with a friend earlier Tuesday.

The coach said Joe excels at creating space and “gravity” on the offensive end. Unprompted, Daigneault and Caruso praised Joe’s defense, a significant nod, given Joe’s 6-foot-5, 181-pound frame and that the Thunder enter Wednesday leading the NBA in efficiency on that end of the floor (102.9 points allowed per 100 possessions). . Joe recently traded for New York Knicks MVP candidate Jalen Brunson, Daigneault noted, while Caruso said Joe “puts his chin on the line and his chest on the play and takes charge.”

“For a guy who’s a shooter-type player, a lot of those guys are a liability on the other end,” Daigneault said. “He makes a great effort. He feels very proud of that goal.”

Joe added, “When I’m out there, I never want to be the odd guy out on the defensive end.”

That overall progress has unfolded since what Joe describes as “definitely a weird time,” when he was the final cut to the Sixers roster after the 2022-23 preseason. The 2020 second-round draft pick quickly went from a veteran-laden Sixers team where he wasn’t getting consistent rotation minutes to a Thunder team still in the midst of a rebuild after losing stars Russell Westbrook and paul george.

Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged Tuesday that adding Joe was “a little unexpected.” Joe credited his faith and the organization, which Daigneault said focuses on “developing an identity that everyone can connect to and connect their strengths,” with helping him quickly learn new schemes and become comfortable with new teammates, coaches and staff. The move also brought Joe closer to his hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, where “he sees my people quite often.”

“Once I got acclimated to everything, I got used to everything,” Joe said, “I definitely saw the positive side.”

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The new playing time (he averaged 19.1 minutes in 73 games, with 10 starts, in 2022-23) encouraged Joe to “test himself and develop skills” such as playmaking, basketball IQ and “all the other little things… to win a championship.” game.” He has averaged at least 8.2 points in each of his three seasons with Oklahoma City. And Joe’s personality — “there’s no cynicism; there’s no excuses,” Daigneault said — makes him an ideal complementary teammate. for a group led by Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

“He knows what he does every night,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He does it at a high level. And it makes it easier for the rest of the group because we know what we are going to get from it. We know how he plays, where his positions are.

“And he’s a very, very good shooter, so that always helps.”

That was demonstrated at Madison Square Garden last week, when he hit 8 of 11 three-point attempts and finished with a season-high 31 points in the Thunder’s 126-101 rout of the Knicks. When told about Joe’s great performance in the Sixers locker room that night, Maxey Tyrese he reacted audibly after opening the score box on his phone.

Maxey and Joel Embiid They are the only former Sixers teammates of Joe’s remaining on the roster, and neither played in Tuesday’s matchup due to injury. However, Joe maintains connections to the place where he spent his first two seasons in the NBA. Last summer, he participated in the Maxey Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament. After Tuesday’s game, Joe touched the crowd in the visitors’ locker room.

Those acts illustrated that Joe remains grateful to have started his NBA career with the Sixers. He’s also excited to have landed in Oklahoma City, where his personal development has coincided with the Thunder’s rise to contention.

“It’s a long journey and you have to appreciate everyone who was a part of it,” Joe said. “…I appreciate every moment. I don’t regret anything that happened. “I’m happy where I am and I’m happy where my path has taken me so far.”