Since the calendar page flipped to January, OKC Thunder wing Aaron Wiggins has received considerable praise for his stellar on-court production and overall impact on the team's winning ways.
Throughout 35 games logged in 2025, the 26-year-old has found himself playing highly efficient basketball, dropping nightly averages of 13.7 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Along the way, he has seen 11 games of 17 or more points, six games of over 20, and a career-high 41-point performance, while Oklahoma City has found itself sporting an elite 124.2 offensive rating with him on the floor and has plummeted to a middle 116.3 rating with him on the sidelines.
Because of this surge in production, there's a growing belief that Wiggins very well could prove to be one of the Thunder's biggest X-factors outside of their core trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.
Now, while this type of sentiment is certainly more than deserved, running alongside him is someone who, despite providing a similar impact to the team, seems to find his services somewhat overshadowed by the likes of the fourth-year pro.
Isaiah Joe right alongside Aaron Wiggins as potential Thunder X-factor
Though his box score numbers may not scream as loud, Isaiah Joe is certainly worthy of being viewed in the same vein as Aaron Wiggins.
What he lacks in flash he makes up for in efficiency, as the 25-year-old finds himself shooting at an incredibly reliable rate of 39.6 percent from distance and sports a tremendous effective field goal percentage of 58.2 (the top mark on the team).
Like Wiggins, the new year has seemingly provided a spark for Joe's game, as he's been posting 10.8 points on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 43.9 percent from distance while registering the third-best net rating on the team during this stretch out of those who have played in 25 or more games.
Sunday night's win over the Milwaukee Bucks was a prime example of the type of difference-maker the wing is, as he provided a much-needed jolt of energy on offense in the absence of J-Dub.
In his 29 minutes of action, he brought momentum-swinging off-ball scoring abilities and self-creating skills that led to 19 points and 6 rebounds on 50.0 percent shooting and 55.6 percent shooting from deep.
Of course, this is just the most recent example of his effect toward winning ways throughout the year.
With Joe on the floor, this Thunder team is scoring 122.2 points per 100 possessions and boasts a +14.8 point differential (both rank higher than Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren's marks on the year). Pair him with Wiggins, and these rates substantially increase to 127.5 points per 100 possessions and a +18.9 differential.
Over the past few years, GM Sam Presti has managed to snatch up quite a few impressive, under-the-radar ballers. Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe are two of them, and, while the former may be the one who has received the majority of the spotlight this season for his efforts, both are exceptional pieces within this OKC rotation and are currently emerging as potential X-factors heading into the playoffs.