Isaiah Joe Has Clear Path to Successful 2025-26 Season for OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t have many question marks coming off a championship, but one player still has something to prove next season.

On the Thunder’s magical playoff run, they had a plethora of players step up in big moments. From Alex Caruso’s defense to Jaylin Williams matching up with Nikola Jokic to Aaron Wiggins’ occasional outbursts, the Thunder always had an unsung hero ready to save the day.

While the Thunder are entering next season with plenty of potential contributors, Isaiah Joe’s spot in the rotation became a bit less clear after the postseason. While the Thunder have Joe under contract for the next several years, his lack of playing time and consistency in the playoffs again raised some valid concerns about his status moving forward.

Of course, the regular season is much different than the playoffs, and it’s hard to find much Joe has done wrong in the 82-game portion of the season throughout his time in Oklahoma City. Set to enter his fourth season with the Thunder, Joe’s blueprint to a successful season looks a bit different than it has in years past.

Focusing on defense

Throughout the playoffs, Joe was often unplayable because of his struggles on the defensive end. While his streaky shooting kept him from being the reliable offensive option the Thunder hope to have, his defense made it nearly impossible for Mark Daigneault to give him a chance to find a rhythm.

In the playoffs, every possession matters immensely as the game slows down. With Joe being targeted on nearly every play when he’s on the floor, the rest of the Thunder’s elite defense can’t make up for it as well as it can in the regular season.

So, Joe needs to find a way to be a much better defender next season. Of course, that doesn’t mean the Thunder are expecting him to be another Alex Caruso or Isaiah Joe, but a similar defensive improvement to Wiggins would be critical for the Thunder come playoff time.