OKC Thunder: Isaiah Joe has What it Takes to Be Sixth Man of the Year

Isaiah Joe was a huge part of OKC’s success last year on offense, and this upcoming year he could be the league's Sixth Man of the Year.
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One of the best acquisitions in the league last season may have been Isaiah Joe joining Oklahoma City.

Joe not only rejuvenated his young career, but he also became a vital part of the OKC offense. Joe was brought to OKC to be a dynamic 3-point shooter, and he did just that.

The former Sixer immediately rocketed up the rotation and began to be one of the first players off of the bench for OKC. Joe shot a career-best 40% from beyond the arc last season, not only making him the best in OKC but one of the best 3-point shooters in the league.

Joe now enters his second season with the Thunder and will look to continue to revitalize his career. While OKC does use platoon substitutions at times, Joe remains one of the first guys off the bench. With his continued success, Joe could make a case for being in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation.

Since the 2011-12 season every winner of the award, except for Montrezl Harrell in 2019-2020 has been a guard. No official odds have been released, yet, for the betting favorites of the award, but it’s likely Joe will have less than ideal odds to win the award. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be in the conversation.

Joe developed his game in with the Thunder as well last season adding more than just 3-point ability. He helps with floor spacing and did show defensive improvements.

Overall, Joe fits the bill of a top-level sixth man in the NBA, who could maybe start in other lineups across the league. With that, he could easily be in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year come the end of the season.


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Chris Becker
CHRIS BECKER

Chris is a senior Sports Media student at Oklahoma State University who has grown up in Oklahoma and around the Thunder. Chris has covered OSU sports from women’s golf to football working for the O’Colly, the OSU student newspaper.