The Oklahoma City Thunder look like an unstoppable force this season. Many teams have tried to beat the Thunder and fallen short. Oklahoma City went into the All-Star break with an impressive 44-10 record. The Thunder have been thriving mainly thanks to the stellar play of some role players. Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Cason Wallace are among those players. However, Isaiah Joe has been pretty streaky this season. If Oklahoma City wants to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy home, Joe must become a more consistent three-point shooter.
Isaiah Joe Must be a More Consistent Shooter
Joe is another product of the Thunder picking up players that teams do not want and turning them into great additions. When the Philadelphia 76ers waived him in 2022, the Thunder immediately picked him up. Last season was his coming-out year, as he shot a career-best 41.6 percent from long range. This year, he took a slight step back, cashing in from deep at a 39.5 percent clip. Granted, he is taking more attempts each night than he has in previous seasons.
These are not numbers that should necessarily worry fans, but he has been very streaky against other contenders. Take his game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 8th. He took seven shots and only hit one. Another example is the NBA Cup Championship against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 17th. Joe shot the ball six times from deep and only made one attempt. He has had games where he has struggled, and one was in a matchup similar to a playoff atmosphere. There have also been games against lottery teams that Joe has struggled in, like a matchup against the Washington Wizards on January 12th. He shot 30 percent from the field and only knocked down a single three-pointer. It has been a theme for this sharpshooter to struggle in games this season, but he has had games where he shined.
When Joe Is On, Let Him Shoot
There are instances when the flamethrower off the bench has proven to be a key asset. The most memorable one was the performance put on in Madison Square Garden. In front of the world, the Arkansas product scored a season-high 31 points on 8-11 shooting from deep. These are the performances OKC needs more of from him. A recent example of these games came on February third against the Bucks, where he went 5-11 from long range. Then there are games where he has looked like “an average Joe.”
He has the skills to be a go-to option on the team, but there are more than a few nights where he falls short. The team can always go to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Jalen Williams in the clutch for a bucket. Chet Holmgren being back also gives the Thunder another scoring option from long-range. Even with the rise of Aaron Wiggins, the pressure has been taken off of Joe. Even with all these other players, sometimes the team just needs a few three-balls. They want to turn to him for those, but it is hard to predict if he drains six threes that night or just one. The Thunder need Joe to start making three of four threes a night, especially when the playoffs begin and shooting becomes more vital.
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