Getty Head coach Doc Rivers of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in the third quarter against the Toronto Raptors during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round at Wells Fargo Center.
While the start of the NBA season brings a great deal of excitement for most, it also means an unfortunate reality for the players that do not make the roster. This became the heartbreaking result for Isaiah Joe and Charles Bassey as the Philadelphia 76ers brought their roster underneath the 15-man limit. It was not a decision that no one in the organization seemed to feel great about and Sixers’ coach Doc Rivers shared how hard it was on him when speaking to reporters.
By releasing the pair of young players, the Sixers’ roster now sits at 14 players. They also shaved roughly $3.3 million off the salary cap and are now about $5.8 million underneath the hard cap limit which gives them more flexibility on the season. The financial aspect and roster flexibility moving forward seemed to have much more to do with the decision than the play of Joe or Bassey.
@PompeyOnSixers Source adds the team is prioritizing roster flexibility at the backend of the roster given the team’s added depth and the logjam there.
Rivers’ Thoughts on Joe
When asked specifically about Joe, who was the more surprising of the two cuts, Rivers reinforced this belief. As he put it when speaking to reporters, “(That was a )Tough one for me just personally because I really like the kid and I really believe he’s an NBA player. He was just caught behind so many guys. That was very difficult. So we had a long talk,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
After being selected by the Sixers with the 49th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Joe saw limited NBA opportunities at the NBA level. He played a total of 992 minutes throughout the two seasons. In the 10.3 minutes per game he averaged, Joe added just 3.7 points and shot 34.9% on three-point attempts.
The Sixers tied the Sixers 40-40 in the Blue x White scrimmage.
Isaiah Joe wins it for the white team in a shooting competition.
The Sixers have been reported to have an interest in bringing back Joe on a two-way deal but it is unclear if this will come to fruition. He will first have to clear waivers with each team having a chance to sign him. Just as Rivers indicated he believes he is an NBA player, it is likely organizations around the league view him the same way. If Joe is given an opportunity on a team that is not in as much of a win-now state, he could flourish with more on-court time.
Rivers’ Thoughts on Bassey
It was less of a surprise to see Bassey sent packing considering the lack of on-court time he saw in preseason. Seeing players on two-way and Exhibit 10 contracts getting minutes ahead of the second-year big man was not encouraging. However, Rivers also spoke highly of the 21-year-old when speaking with the media.
As Rivers put it, “Charles, I believe is an NBA player, too. He’s got a long way to go, but he can get there. So we released two guys yesterday (Thursday) who I believe someday will be an NBA and hopefully play well,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire. The experienced head coach elaborated on what Bassey must work on and stated, “Just being a force. Be more dominating, shot blocker, running the floor, rebounder. His offense will come, but while that process is happening, he had to be dominant in the other areas.”
It is far from the end of the NBA road for either of these young prospects. The Sixers are clearly in win-now mode with championship aspirations and it makes it difficult to balance the development of young players. Both Bassey and Joe are sure to land on their feet somewhere and have a chance to rewrite their stories and should take this high praise along with them.
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Doc Rivers Emotional Response to Releasing Young Sixers