Isaiah Joe Continues to Bend Defenses for OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder have started the 2025-26 NBA season as the hottest team in the Association, just as they did a season ago, a season where they won the NBA Finals. The team is now 12-1; it was not easy at the start of the season, with back-to-back double-overtime showdowns against the Rockets and Pacers, but recently, they've been dominant.

One of the biggest reasons for the shift from a great team to a dominant team was the return of the squad's premier three-point sharpshooter, guard Isaiah Joe. The addition of one player has unlocked the offense from a variety of angles.

Through eight games played, all off the bench, Joe is averaging 16.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while stroking at 40.8% from behind the three-point line. The University the Arkansas alum has shown no rust whatsoever after starting the season sidelined for the Thunder's first five games with a left knee injury suffered during preseason.

Joe has already put together multiple big-time performances this season, with three 20-point games out of his eight appearances. One of those 20-point performances was in his last game at Paycom Center against the Los Angeles Lakers, where the sharpshooter tallied 21 points and five assists, knocking down four three-pointers on 10 attempts from long range.

Joe has continued to bring elite three-point shooting to a Thunder team that greatly needed his perimeter gravity. In fact, he has been instrumental to the team's shooting resurrection.

The Thunder have knocked down 36.8% of their threes in their eight games with Joe available in the lineup this season. On the other hand, in OKC's five games without Joe, it has only shot a devastatingly low 28.8% from downtown, a shocking difference of eight percent between the two filters.

Statistically, the return of Joe has done numbers for the Thunder's offensive output. It's passed through the eye test as well.

Joe brings a threat to knock down any open look across the floor when he is on, so that is a deadly combination when in a lineup alongside superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He has brought the reigning MVP a constant target in the drive-and-kick game, which is clearly a reason why the Thunder have started to dominate any competition they line up against over the last four games.

Keep in mind, this is just what the Thunder look like currently, without Jalen Williams for the entire season, or Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins for the past week. Imagine what they look like when these key players return.