LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 01: LeBron James and Joe Johnson #1 of the Triplets celebrate after the Triplets defeated the Killer 3s to win the BIG3 Championship at Staples Center on September 01, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/BIG3 via Getty Images)
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, Joe Johnson is a hot commodity these days.
Word on the NBA streets is that the Detroit Pistons have a huge chance to get Iso Joe.
Johnson, 38 impresed many with his stealth play in Ice Cube’s Big 3 Basketball league. The 6-7 Johnson put icing on the cake at Los Angeles’ Staples Center when he hit the game-winning shot in the championship game with notable like LeBron James and Lakers CEO Jeanie Buss watching courtside.
If you’re tardy to the party: Joe Johnson has appeared in 1,276 NBA games with a career average of 16 points per contest while shooting 37.1 percent from downtown.
The tenth overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Johnson, a seven-time NBA All Star has played for the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets.
Johnson did shoot only 27.6 percent from 3-point range while averaging 6.8 points in 55 games with Utah and Houston in 2017-18. But it doesn’t matter because he washed that doubt away with a great showing in the Big 3.
The League’s reigning MVP was pretty much a league leader in every major statistical category. He was ranked first in scoring. He had 175 points for the summer. Iso Joe was third in rebounding behind former Brooklyn Nets teammate, Reggie Evans. Johnson led in assists and dished out 31 and played big by hauling in 60 rebounds. The former Arkansas product also swiped 9 steals and led the league in field goal percentage.
Pretty safe to say that every NBA team is interested. The Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans and the Philadelphia 76ers are also high on Johnson.
Million Dollar Question: How cool would it be to see Joe Johnson in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform?
To that we turn to Sixers rookie, Matisse Thybulle. He tells me that he wants to see Johnson play for the City of Brotherly Love.
MADISON, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 11: Matisse Thybulle of the 76ers poses for a portrait during the 2019 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 11, 2019 at the Ferguson Recreation Center in Madison, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
A swingman out of Washington, any basketball pro will tell you that Thybulle was one of the best defenders in college basketball last season.
For those keeping score at home: Thybulle led the NCAA in steals per game (3.5). Thybulle also ranks 16th on the NCAA’s all-time steals list, and he’s the Pac-12’s all-time leader in steals, too.
Check out our Q&A below.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Would you like to see Joe Johnson in Philadelphia?
Matisse Thybulle: I mean ISO Joe that’s a walking bucket who wouldn’t want to play with him.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Is that a Yes?
Matisse Thybulle: Yes sir.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: When you watched him in the BIG3 what stood out to you?
Matisse Thybulle: Just how, I’m not going to say that it’s easy for him; but just how he makes it look so effortless. Like getting buckets is not a problem for him and everyone in the league now tries to score and go at a fast pace. It’s like the dude does that better than anyone. Watching him do that in the BIG3 people thought that he was going to be done and to watch him come back and to still be playing at that level is pretty impressive.