OKC Thunder Sharpshooter Poised to Make Difference in Postseason

The Thunder will need all the outside shooting they can get when the lights are brightest.

Mar 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) runs down the court after scoring against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s outside shooting was an issue in the postseason last year, but its sharpshooter looks ready to be a real factor in the 2026 playoffs.

Throughout this season, the Thunder have dealt with a plethora of injuries. With regular instances of short rotations, the Thunder have had to find ways to succeed in unideal situations, but that’s also meant players have been given opportunities to show out.

One of the most impressive players throughout this season has been Isaiah Joe. After getting benched for most of the playoffs last season, Joe’s role with the team moving forward appeared to be a bit uncertain.

Still, there’s always a need for shooting in the NBA, and Joe has always been reliable in the regular season. While there is still some warranted skepticism about how Joe might fare in the playoffs, his performance throughout the season has made it clear that he should be a real factor when the lights are brightest.

Averaging a career-high 11 points per game and shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc, Joe has been one of the Thunder’s most important and reliable players all season, playing in 61 of 70 games. With only another 12 games left in the regular season, Joe has continued to show off his outside shooting and made some strides in other areas of his game.

Of course, the main issue with Joe will be his defense, but his effort on that end, coupled with the defensive stars that will be on the floor alongside him in any given lineup, should be enough to ensure he’s a positive on that end. While Joe had similar numbers going into last postseason, he appears to be much more of a staple of Mark Daigneault’s rotation this time around, especially with players like Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort taking some steps back as the playoffs near.

In the 2025 playoffs, Joe averaged only 10 minutes in 21 games of action, getting DNPs for two games and rarely playing meaningful minutes in the final two rounds. Considering the Thunder’s depth, Joe may eventually see his role decrease, but if he can continue to knock down threes at a high clip, Daigneault may have no choice but to keep Joe on the floor.

With the pressure that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will be getting as the main ball handlers, Joe’s spacing should make life a bit easier for the Thunder’s stars. It’s impossible to predict how the postseason rotation will look, but it feels like a safe bet that Joe will be a key piece.