Isaiah Joe Making Early Case for the NBA's 3-Point Contest
Oklahoma City has one of the NBA's elite shooters. After breaking out for the Thunder a season ago, Isaiah Joe hasn't slowed down one bit. As a matter of fact, he has been even better.
Any expected drop-off has been quickly silenced through the first 12 games of the season as Joe has been one of the best shooters in the NBA from 3-point range. He's a main contributor to the Thunder offense and has provided crucial floor spacing to Oklahoma City's drive-first scheme.
In just over 19 minutes per game, Joe is averaging 9.9 points and shooting an unreal 47.1% from 3-point range.
He has the third-highest plus-minus on the team behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kenrich Williams, who has only played two games and both contests were blowouts. Joe is a plus-5.3 on the court for the Thunder and has helped in so many aspects of the game.
His best performance came Thursday night in Golden State, where he torched the Warriors and picked up loads of national attention. In 25 minutes, Joe poured in 23 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. He simply couldn't miss and led the Thunder to victory on a night when Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't find his rhythm.
Last season, Joe vouched for himself to be included in the 3-point contest during NBA All-Star Weekend. Statistically, he probably deserved it, but the Thunder hadn't arrived as a playoff team yet and Joe was still unknown.
Currently, Oklahoma City is 8-4 overall and fourth in the Western Conference, and Joe is shooting nearly 50% from 3-point range. Even if those numbers inevitably dip slightly, Joe should be awarded an appearance in the annual contest. He's cementing himself as one of the best shooters in the league and it's helping the Thunder take the next step as a team.
If he wants to partake in the 3-point contest, he should have a spot.
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