A month ago, Isaiah Joe was a far cry from a key figure within the on-court rotation of the OKC Thunder. On many occasions, he was even argued as one of their more expendable pieces, with many NBA pundits around the league suggesting he be moved to clear cap space.
Fast forward to late February, and the Thunder shooting guard has played the role of hero in more ways than coach Mark Daigneault can count.
While Joe was struggling to earn minutes on the court early in the season, seeing less than 20 a night, recent extended absences by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell have cleared the way for Thunder role players to step up.