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Opinion
You only had to see the reaction on the faces of his Jazz teammates to see how much Joe Ingles meant to the Utah franchise.
Just under a year ago, Ingles was writhing in pain on the floor in Minnesota after his left knee buckled as he made a seemingly innocuous drive to the hoop.
Teammates had tears in their eyes, fearing the worst, and when he was diagnosed with an ACL tear there were many NBA pundits who thought that would be the end of the veteran forward’s career.
Ingles took to social media soon afterwards to say he’d be doing everything in his power to get back on court. And he was not just saying it.
But he’s not only back but thriving at a new franchise, one that has as good a chance as any other when it comes to lifting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy at the end of the season.
After making a tentative comeback on December 20 against New Orleans, the 35-year-old Boomers stalwart is averaging 20 minutes per game in 11 outings for Milwaukee as they cruise at 27-14 in third spot on the Eastern Conference standings.
His numbers are efficient but not amazing – 7.3 points per game, 4.5 assists, 1.8 rebounds (never his strongest suit) and his three-point (32.1%) and field goal (33.9%) clips are well down on his career highs of a few years ago.
But he’s not just filling a role, he’s becoming part of Milwaukee’s closing five.
All-Star swingman Khris Middleton has been sidelined with a knee injury but even when he returns in the next week or so, it’s likely Ingles will remain in the crunch-time rotation with Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen losing minutes.
Joe Ingles drives to the hoop for Milwaukee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Ingles hit a season-high 17 earlier this week against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, draining five threes, and was again prominent down the stretch when the Bucks took down the Hawks in Atlanta.
And that’s all he needs to be, doing his job to facilitate dual MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton and two-way guard Jrue Holiday.
Throw in veteran centre Brook Lopez and that’s a five-man line-up that could go all the way this season.
The Bucks used their mid-level exception to sign Ingles on a one-year $US6.5 million deal even though they knew he’d be sidelined for the first couple of months. It’s looking like a wise investment.
After the Knicks game, the 2021 Olympic bronze medallist reflected on his journey back from his devastating injury, telling reporters he was fully aware that he’s been given a great opportunity come the playoffs.
“With the guys we’ve got in the locker room and when Khris gets back, our team is really good,” he said with a knowing chuckle that good was somewhat of an understatement.
“For us we’ve got so much talent, every game will be different and different guys will get hot on different nights and tonight I was making a couple of shots. It’s nice to finish games, to be in those situations.
“With those ups and downs, it’s nice to see some of the work that I’ve put in for the last 12 months kind of paying off, and getting that rhythm back a little bit.”
He was asked mid-game in a sideline interview during the win over the Hawks what he was looking for when he was setting up teammates on court: “Anyone. I’ve always been a passer, a guy who tries to get my teammates involved. Obviously just getting back (from injury) myself, it’s about finding a flow and knowing where guys want to catch the ball.”
When he first started making a name for himself at Utah it was through his pick and roll combination with fellow benchie Derrick Favors.
As he made his way into the starting line-up he developed a similar chemistry with All-Star centre Rudy Gobert.
Now he’s throwing lobs for the Greek Freak. Talk about a step up in running mates.
Throw it up anywhere within two metres of the hoop either side and Antetokounmpo will do the rest.
“I just try to throw it as high as I could that was reasonable, if you do that there’s a very fair chance he’s going to go and get it.”
The perennial All-Star revealed that his new teammate has been giving him grief to ensure he’s on top of his game and Ingles, renowned as being one of the NBA’s best trash talkers, was happy to hear his gift of the gab was being appreciated by Antetokounmpo.
“I’ve done that my whole life. I feel like I know the game and I can help in those situations of things that I see whether I’m out there or not, I’ve always prided myself in understanding the game,” he said while checking with reporters that prided was the correct usage of the word. “If I see something I’ve never been afraid to say it.”
Joe Ingles. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Nets (27-13) are slightly ahead of Milwaukee but with Kevin Durant out around a month with his knee injury, the Brooklyn bubble is set to burst.
Boston (30-12) are undoubtedly the team to beat in the East and they gave the Bucks a 139-118 whoopin’ on Christmas Day.
But unless the 76ers or Heat get their act together or Durant is able to drag the dysfunctional Nets through a playoff surge, it’s likely the Eastern Conference finals will come down to Boston and the Bucks.
With no clear challenger, apart from maybe Denver, emerging in the West as yet, the Celtics v Milwaukee series could decide the championship.
Footnote: Ingles has shut down his social media accounts recently but his decision to like just one tweet during his 13 years on the platform is still legendary.