NBA DRAFT

November 19, 2020

Isaiah Joe

Q. If you could start out with opening remarks about your style of play and what you'll bring to your new team.

ISAIAH JOE: So what I bring to a team is my shooting ability, my ability to stretch the floor. I can knock it down from anywhere, any angle, off the catch, off the dribble.

I'm a capable ball handler, so if a team needs me to bring the ball down the court at any time, I can do that. And my IQ, offensively and defensively. I feel like my defensive versatility is actually really good. I'm willing to sacrifice my body. I take a lot of charges. I average around two charges a game at Arkansas, so I'm willing to do that, and I use my length to my ability. I think the main thing is my ability to shoot the ball.

Q. If you can take me through what's going through your mind right now knowing you got drafted and you're going to be heading to Philly.

ISAIAH JOE: Oh, man, I think it's a lot of emotions in there right now. Me, all I ever needed was an opportunity. Now it's time to make the most of it.

So Philly is a great system. They really value my ability. They value my skill set. And so now I'm ready to get up there and get ready for the next steps. We've got a quick turnaround in the season, so we've got to get things going.

Q. Have you ever been to Philly, and if so, what are your memories of the city?

ISAIAH JOE: I've never been to Philly. This will be a whole new experience, and I'm excited for it.

Q. Obviously you're going to be on the floor with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Those guys are All-Stars. When you're on the floor with them, what are you looking to learn from those guys and what will be your best attribute for them while they do their thing on the floor as well?

ISAIAH JOE: Ben Simmons, he's an aggressive, big guard. He's really willing to facilitate the basketball. So I'm really looking forward to playing with him. And then when he has driving lanes, I'll be out spacing the floor, occupying a defender. So I really think that will benefit his game a lot.

Same for Joel Embiid. My defender may not be able to help off as much whenever he has the ball in his hands. He can play his game down low or mid range, whatever he needs to do, and if my defender helps off, that works with the inside-out game.

I really think our games will complement each other, and I'm looking forward to playing with them.

Q. Growing up playing basketball, who are some players that you sort of patterned your game around?

(Phone call from Coach Rivers.)

Q. How was it hearing from Coach Rivers?

ISAIAH JOE: Oh, man, talking to the coach, Doc Rivers, man, great coach. I've watched a lot of his teams.

But back to your question, though, I watched a lot of JJ Redick, Buddy Hield. I feel like they do a really good job of moving without the ball. J.J. Redick does a really good job of setting his man up on screens and keeping his movement. Buddy Hield is really good in transition.

I think one thing they do is get their shot off really quick with a limited amount of dribbles, and I see that in my game.

I think someone I looked at more in the bubble was Duncan Robinson. I think he opened a lot of eyes during the bubble, so I started watching his game as well.

Q. I'm wondering what went through your head the moment your name was called tonight?

ISAIAH JOE: Oh, man, it was just a lot of emotions were built up waiting. I think I was nervous and excited at the same time to hear my name. So once my name was called, I think it was just a sigh of relief that we all had, me and my family.

We were just real happy in the moment. All I was thinking about was I'm just happy a team took a chance on me because that's all I need is a foot in the door. I know I'm going to make big things happen. I'm going to make my family proud. I'm going to make myself proud.

All thanks goes to God. Once they called my name, it was just a sigh of relief. Now it's just the next step. I've got to get up to Philly and start making things happen.

Q. How can you conceptualize everything that's going on in your life right now? What's it like to pick up the phone and have Doc Rivers at the other end?

ISAIAH JOE: Oh, man, it's amazing. It was very unexpected. This is my job now. Basketball is a game that I love, and playing basketball for a living is just a dream come true. Nonetheless, I've got a lot more things to push for in the future, but it starts here. This is just the beginning.

Q. I wanted to ask what is your first thought playing next to a guy like Ben Simmons, who does a terrific job finding shooters?

ISAIAH JOE: Yeah, I think you hit it right on the nail. His ability to distribute the ball the way he does and he's a willing distributor, but he's also a guy, he can really attack the basket.

And so I think me being out on the floor, I'm a guy that he can distribute the ball to, or that's another lane for him to drive because my man is not going to be helping as strong as others will. So I think our games will complement each other very well.

Q. What are your thoughts about your new chapter in Philadelphia? And also your thoughts on the organization?

ISAIAH JOE: Any team I'm going to, I believe that all of them -- an organization like this that really values me as a person and as a player and my skill set, it heightens it even more, makes me want to work hard because I know at the end of the day we're going to win games. And that's the goal at the end of the day is just to win as many games as possible and make a run.