Cory Joseph's Hair Has Been The True Hero This Season

After last night’s game against the Miami Heat everyone is going to be talking about Tyreke Evans and they have every right too. He was magnificent. He had 23 points on 25 minutes off the bench. He was 6-6 from the free throw line, 5-7 from the three point line, and had 10 rebounds to give him his first double-double of the year. He came up big on a night that Victor Oladipo had a rough one. All of this is great, but in truth he has lacked consistency. Today I think we should focus on the most consistent bench player for the Indiana Pacers this year, not named Domantas Sabonis, Cory Joseph.

This is not the same Cory Joseph as last year. No, this is cornrows man-bun Cory Joseph, not normal haircut Cory Joseph. Those cornrows into a man-bun have made Joseph a much more efficient player. He is shooting 51.8% from the field which is almost 10% higher than last year and he is shooting 46.7% from beyond the three point line. That is 11% higher than it was. On defense he is tearing it up this year. I know he always does, but something just seems different.

11/16/18 Cory Joseph after Indiana Pacers defeated the Miami Heat. Credited to Indiana Pacers and Fox Sports Indiana

Now, I know what you are going to say, “He is averaging less points per game this year.” Yes this is true. He is averaging 0.9 points less per game but he is also playing fewer minutes. I believe this is going to change soon. In the last few minutes of the Miami game I found myself yelling for the Pacers Head Coach Nate McMillan to put Joseph in over Darren Collison. I like DC, I really do, but there is no way to sugarcoat this, he has had a rough year. If that continues I see Joseph’s minutes going up and honestly, I see him finishing games more often than not.

I’m not sure if CoJo got a new haircut this year to match the awful “We grow basketball here” tagline (because apparently all we have in Indiana is basketball and rows of corn) but his cornrows man-bun are far from awful. This is a Samson situation. If Joseph cuts his hair I am 100% positive we go back to the good on defense, non-efficient on offense Cory Joseph from previous seasons. So CoJo do us a favor and keep the haircut. We cannot afford for you to lose your powers this season.

11/17/18 Cory Joseph enters the game in the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks. Credited to The Indiana Pacers and Fox Sports Indiana

All pictures are credited to the Indiana Pacers and Fox Sports Indiana