Thunder Mark Daigneault’s honest take on Isaiah Joe’s huge 2025-26 debut
The post Thunder Mark Daigneault’s honest take on Isaiah Joe’s huge 2025-26 debut appeared first on ClutchPoints .
OKLAHOMA CITY — After Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe suffered a knee injury in preseason , he made his regular-season debut in Thursday’s 127-108 win against the Washington Wizards, impressing coach Mark Daigneault in the process. Joe wasted no time in making his presence felt, draining two threes in his first five minutes off the bench.
Joe finished with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including five threes, six rebounds, and one steal against the Wizards. However, for Daigneault, Joe’s defense is what stood out most amid Isaiah’s impressive display of shooting.
“First of all, it’s six games in 10 nights. We’re still kind of in this stretch and getting Alex [Caruso] back against Sacramento injected some energy on that night, getting [Joe] back injected some energy,” Daigneault said. “Obviously, he hit the ground running. I thought the best stuff he did tonight was defensively and the ball movement. Despite having it going early, he threw some of the better extra passes of the night.
“He just made the right play all night and took the shots when they there and otherwise, kept it moving. It was a reminder of funtionality and how much helps the system when he’s out there,” Daigneault concluded.
Joe’s production helped the shorthanded Thunder to a perfect 6-0 record to start the regular season. With All-Star Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams still recovering from their respective offseason surgeries, Joe, much like we saw Alex Caruso against the Kings, returned to give Oklahoma City an extra boost in the backcourt.
All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31 points on 11-of-20 attempts, including 3-for-6 from deep, seven assists, three rebounds, and one block led the Thunder in Thursday’s 29-point win. Ajay Mitchell’s 20 points also provided a significant spark off the bench and Isaiah Hartenstein added 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Defending champion Thunder flex its depth amid 6-0 start
After Thunder reserve Ajay Mitchell received Improved Player of the Year consideration one week into the regular season, Isaiah Joe showed zero signs of fatigue in his first outing since exiting a preseason game against the Pacers on October 11.
While Chet Holmgren, dealing with a lower back injury, took his second consecutive game off due to a sore back, coach Mark Daigneault was able to plug in Joe with ease, as Isaiah and Mitchell combined for 40 of 52 points off the bench en route to the Thunder’s six consecutive win as defending champions.
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