The Detroit Pistons haven’t made a ton of huge moves this summer. They lost Tobias Harris and replaced him with John Collins, then they traded Caris LeVert for Taurean Prince and Gary Harris. But they didn’t really get a secondary creator to play alongside Cade Cunningham. That’s where Isaiah Joe needs to come into play.
When Joe got waived by the Philadelphia 76ers, he joined the Oklahoma City Thunder. There, he took a major leap. He went from a non-rotation player to a guy who could play on any given night. Now, the Pistons need him to take another huge leap. Just like he played better with more playing time in OKC, he needs to do the same in Detroit.
But for Cade Cunningham’s sake, the Pistons need Joe to do that at an even higher level.
Pistons need Isaiah Joe to take another leap
The leap Joe took when he got to OKC was an impressive one, but it made sense. He always had the talent, but when he was in Philly, he didn’t get the playing time to prove it.
So, as soon as he got a morsel of opportunity with the Thunder, he took advantage of it. He made sure to show everything he could bring to the table, and it earned him his first real big-league contract.
Unfortunately, the Thunder had to make some tough decisions this summer. They were pressed up against the second apron (and still are), so they salary-dumped Joe to the Pistons.
By the end of his tenure in OKC, there weren’t a ton of minutes for Joe, especially once the playoffs came around. There was just too much talent ahead of him for him to stay on the court.
Now, with the Pistons, he should have a chance to prove he can be even more than what he was in OKC. Just like he did for the Thunder when the Sixers failed to give him a chance.
The Pistons need scoring. They need additional creation. Joe could potentially bring both of those things to the table if given the chance to play more minutes.
Cunningham needs a guy who can churn out some extra offensive creation alongside him, and maybe Joe can do that. Maybe – like was the case in Philly – he just wasn’t given the chance to show off everything he can do in OKC.
Detroit, and Cunningham, in particular, better hope that’s the case, because the Pistons still need some offensive help.
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