The Thunder will go as far as Isaiah Joe takes them.
Well, that might be a stretch, but his importance can’t be ignored. Oklahoma City is a team filled with great 3-point shooters, but Joe is still at the top of the list.
Joe has shot a career-high 41.8% from beyond the arc on 4.5 attempts this season. Although his attempts have decreased from last season, he is no less of a threat from outside.
In the Thunder’s win against the Miami Heat on Friday, Joe scored 10 points for only the second time since the All-Star break and nailed some important shots. He knocked down his second 3-pointer toward the end of the third to help cap off the Thunder’s big run out of halftime, and he stepped into a long two off an offensive rebound with the game in the balance in the fourth quarter.
Joe’s shot-making ability has been clear since he arrived in Oklahoma City. Despite shooting better than 40% from deep over the past two seasons, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault cares much more about the other things he can provide.
“For him to just read the game and make the right play is pretty impressive,” Daigneault said. “And that’s why you let him play through the low volume or a bad shooting night because he does a ton of invisible things that help the team on both ends of the floor. And I got a lot of respect for his approach.”
Joe has the worst assist-to-pass ratio among Oklahoma City's guards, meaning his passes result in assists less than every other guard. Although creating open looks for teammates is a valuable tool, it shows that Joe plays entirely within the flow of the offense and does not try to do too much.
Joe, an improved defender, has shown that his teammates and coaches can trust him to stay on the floor in big moments. Although it might not have been the case when the Thunder first signed him, Joe’s versatility on both ends has made him a vital piece to the team’s success.
Joe isn’t going to have big shooting nights consistently in the playoffs, but he doesn’t need to. The Thunder and Joe understand he brings much more than shooting, making him the perfect sixth man for this group’s first playoff run.
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