Following their matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, all eyes are now on the regular season for the Philadelphia Sixers. Their first official game comes in just four days on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Now that players had the chance to show what they can do in training camp and preseason, it's time to start making predictions on what rotations will look like. Doc Rivers has said on multiple occasions he has no set number of guys he intends to play on a nightly basis, but there will still be some players on the outside looking in when the action tips off next week.
Most of Rivers' rotation is set in stone, but there is one discussion to be had. That is which young shooter sees most of the wing minutes in the second unit.
No Sixer shined brighter in the preseason than Isaiah Joe. The former second-round pick put on an incredible run that has many fans begging for him to see a larger role in year two. Through four preseason contests, Joe averaged a team-high 16.8 points per game and shot 59.3% from beyond the arc.
Since the Summer League, Joe has continued to show he's hungry for more playing time this season. Seeing what he could do with an expanded role should at least get him a chance in the rotation. The question is, which player will he jump en route to more time on the court in 2021.
If Ben Simmons does intend to play when the regular season kicks off, bench minutes will be even harder to come by. The decision will likely come down to which outside shooter Rivers prefers between Joe and Furkan Korkmaz.
It's clear the Sixers still see value in Korkmaz, and that's why they brought him back in free agency, but Joe might have a case to see time over him. For starters, he almost doubled Korkmaz's three-point percentage on an identical amount of attempts per game (6.8).
The biggest factor of Joe's case for more playing time comes on the other side of the floor. Despite giving up some size in terms of weight, the 22-year-old more than holds his own defensively. His IQ and fundamentals on that side of the floor are rather impressive for a player entering just their second season. He is also an arguably better defender than Korkmaz.
Ballhandling is one area that might have put Korkmaz ahead in the race last season but is not the case now. Joe spent a lot of time in the offseason growing that part of his game, and it has shown thus far. If he can continue to refine his ballhandling skills, he can be just as good a secondary ballhandler as Korkmaz.
Rivers should not feel inclined to play Korkmaz just because he re-signed this summer. With how little is he being paid, it would be a non-issue opting to play Joe to start the season after his stellar preseason run.
In reality, these two could find themselves swapping in and out of the rotation throughout the season. Shooters go through hot and cold spells regularly. Rivers should ride the player whose shots are falling at the time.
Rivers said previously Joe was a player coming for minutes this year, and after the way he shot the lights out in preseason, he might get his wish.
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