Isaiah Joe brings 42.3% shooting from deep to the Pistons' bench
Isaiah Joe is in his first season with the Detroit Pistons after spending last season with OKC. He is healthy, not on the injury report, and has scored in every game so far this season off the bench. Detroit has won four of its first five games with Joe in the rotation.
By the Pistons Nightly Desk · updated 17 h ago01The story of the nightWhere Joe fits in DetroitJoe wears number 17 for the Pistons and plays guard.
Joe wears number 17 for the Pistons and plays guard. He is 6-4 and 165 pounds, 27 years old, and in his sixth NBA season out of Arkansas. His job in Detroit is the same one he held last season: come off the bench, space the floor, and make open threes. The early minutes bear that out. He has played between 10.8 and 19.7 minutes in each of the first five games, a bench role with a steady floor. He is not on the injury report and has no injury history to speak of, which matters for a rotation piece the coaching staff wants available every night. The front office brought him in for shooting, and the first five games show that is exactly how he is being used.
02Last season's numbers with OKCLast season with OKC, Joe played 71 games and averaged 21.2 minutes.
Last season with OKC, Joe played 71 games and averaged 21.2 minutes. He scored 11.1 points per game with 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks. The shooting line is the reason Detroit wanted him. He hit 45.5 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from three and 89.4 percent from the line. His true shooting percentage was 65.7, with a usage rate of 17.8 percent. He turned the ball over only 0.6 times per game, and his plus-minus was a plus 5.0. Those are last season's figures, not this year's, but they describe a low-mistake shooter who scores efficiently without needing the ball in his hands.
03The first five games as a PistonJoe opened the season on October 5 against Phoenix with 7 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 17.8 minutes in a…
Joe opened the season on October 5 against Phoenix with 7 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 17.8 minutes in a Pistons win. Detroit lost to Washington on October 10, with Joe scoring 5 points in 17.1 minutes. His best night came October 14 against Minnesota: 14 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in 19.7 minutes, and a plus 12.0 in a win. He added 8 points in 10.8 minutes against Toronto on October 16, a plus 7.0 in another win. On October 20 against Boston he had 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 19.3 minutes as the Pistons won again. Detroit is 4-1 in games Joe has played this season.
04How the playoff run ended last springJoe's last stretch with OKC came in a late-May series against San Antonio.
Joe's last stretch with OKC came in a late-May series against San Antonio. His minutes swung from game to game. He played 9.8 minutes on May 20 and 8.7 minutes on May 22, both Thunder wins, with 0 and 3 points. On May 24 he scored 11 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 18.8 minutes in a loss, a plus 6.0. On May 26 he played only 1.8 minutes in a win. On May 28, another loss, he had 3 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 16.0 minutes. The inconsistent role in that series stands in contrast to the steady minutes he is getting now in Detroit.
05What is being said around the leagueJoe's name came up in a Central Notes roundup on October 14 that also covered Collins, Bulls injuries and Desta.
Joe's name came up in a Central Notes roundup on October 14 that also covered Collins, Bulls injuries and Desta. That report landed the same day as his 14-point game against Minnesota. On September 25, Thunder GM Sam Presti discussed the offseason, roster and future in a conversation reported by Baxter Holmes, which touched on the team Joe left behind. Neither item changes his status in Detroit. He is on the roster, he is healthy, and he is playing every night. Treat any chatter as talk, not news, until the Pistons say otherwise.
Joe11.1 ppg
Spencer11.1 ppg
PHI
OKC