The Philadelphia 76ers roster is overflowing right now. Add in the signing of Montrezl Harrell, and the Sixers are looking at a team full of players who could all feasibly make the final roster though not all of them will.
One of the most common names being thrown around as a potential roster cut is Isaiah Joe. However, cutting Joe would be a mistake that the Philadelphia 76ers would regret down the line.
There is a logic for why the Philadelphia 76ers could cut Joe. Isaiah Joe is a young (23 years old), streaky shooter (34.9% from deep in his career) on a team that has many more proven three-point shooters. The Sixers added Danuel House Jr. (41.5% with Utah) and PJ Tucker (41.5%), who are great three and D contributors.
Combine that with the growth of Tyrese Maxey’s shot and James Harden’s upcoming rejuvenation, along with a laundry list of bench pieces who can all shoot the ball, and some people might be sold on cutting Isaiah Joe because he doesn’t have an incredible role on the Sixers. The fact that he has hardly played on the past two iterations of the Philadelphia 76ers roster is another reason that he is being looked at as a potential cut candidate.
On the other hand, his low usage over the first two seasons isn’t a good enough reason to cut him. Neither is the fact that his main skill is one of the most coveted skills in the league. A team can never have too many shooters, and that’s exactly what Joe is.
Joe was seen as one of the best shooters in his draft after his high volume in college with the University of Arkansas, and he has not lost that reputation since coming to the NBA. While he has not had many games with a lot of playing time, he has proven time and time again that when he gets an opportunity to play, he plays well.
Last season, during the month of January, Isaiah Joe saw his most consistent stretch of playing time with the Philadelphia 76ers. Joe averaged 14.4 minutes per game, playing more than 10 minutes per game nine times out of fourteen games played. Over that month, Joe averaged 5.1 points per game on 42.1/37.0/100.0 shooting splits. He had some of the best games of his career during that month, too, including great games against the Wizards, the Spurs, and the Grizzlies and solid showings through nearly all of his games.
Isaiah Joe deserves to have a roster spot with the Philadelphia 76ers at the beginning of this season. He is an incredible shooter and has regularly, when given the opportunity, has been able to showcase his talents on the NBA floor. Joe is a very good piece to bring in and play as a backup shooting guard in a pinch, and his age makes him even more valuable.
Without a doubt, Isaiah Joe deserves to make the Philadelphia 76ers’ final roster.
