Philadelphia 76ers guard Isaiah Joe caught the eyes of everybody during the preseason by stealing the show on the floor. The second-year guard out of Arkansas shot a blistering 61.5% from deep in the exhibition slate, and he was making plays for others on offense.
As the Sixers move into the regular season, Joe will have a chance to continue his strong play. The Sixers will be without Shake Milton for a while due to injury, and somebody needs to take those minutes. Joe has the opportunity to step up and prove he deserves more minutes.
To do that, coach Doc Rivers has some goals for Joe.
“To keep playing the way he’s playing, to keep growing, he has shown us a lot,” said Rivers. “He’s been great. Where he’s at offensively this year is where I honestly thought he would be more last year. He was more advanced last year defensively than he was offensively even though he had a cannon. He didn’t know how to get open.”
Joe showed off skills in the preseason such as being able to put the ball on the floor. He moved without the basketball to find open looks for himself, and he showed a nice passing ability. He also showed off his usual solid defense while transforming into a good 3-and-D player.
“This year, he’s been wonderful,” Rivers finished. “He’s doing everything, so he’s gonna play minutes and that’s good for us. The guys have confidence in him and that’s a good thing.”
Joe and the Sixers will have another day of practice on Tuesday before opening the season against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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