Eight games into the season, the OKC Thunder have somehow managed to look even better than last year, and they're doing it without several key players in the mix.
Fortunately, trusty two-guard Isaiah Joe recently made his way back to action after missing the first five contests, and has been playing like one of the NBA's elite offensive threats.
Tuesday night against the Clippers, Joe went nuclear from beyond the arc, sinking six of his 10 three-pointers and finishing with 22 points in just 21 minutes on the floor. He also added three rebounds to the effort while turning the ball over just once.
This isn't the first time he has taken over on offense. In fact, since making his season debut last week, Joe has technically been the best offensive player in the NBA.
Thunder guard Isaiah Joe ranks atop the NBA in offensive rating
The 26-year-old sports an offensive rating of 130.5, which is number one among all players averaging over 24.0 minutes per game.
Offensive rating is a statistic that is based on more than just points scored. It includes factors such as efficiency, minutes played, assists, rebounds, and turnovers to calculate how many points a player creates per 100 possessions.
Other top players in this category include perennial stars like Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
I-Joe is ahead of all of them!
Now in his sixth season, the guard is showing unprecedented growth.
In his three games played, he's averaging 18.3 points per game while shooting a ridiculous 48.3 percent from deep. That's up from his 10.2 points per game last year with a 41.2 three-point percentage.
He's made five or more triples in two of those games and has been the go-to spot-up shooter off the bench for the Thunder. He has helped Oklahoma City raise their three-point percentage from the second-worst in the league to 21st.
On top of his offensive excellence, Joe is also getting it done on the defensive end.
He has a player rating of 105.1, which also ranks among the NBA's best. The average defensive rating for guards is around 116.6.
In the three games since Joe has returned to the lineup, the Thunder are outscoring their opponents by an average of 23 points, while he's personally boasting a plus-minus of +36.
Joe and the rest of the Thunder head to Portland for a Wednesday night matchup against a competitive Blazers team that has been elite at keeping opponents off the perimeter.
They have allowed the least amount of three-point attempts per game and rank in the top ten in team defensive rating. Hopefully, Isaiah Joe can continue his on-court dominance and play a role in Oklahoma City extending their undefeated streak to 9-0 come Thursday morning.