Jazzman Joe Ingles Looks Comfortable Coming Off Bench
Oct 16, 2019, 11:40 PM | Updated: 11:41 pm
Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) celebrates after a 3-point shot as the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers play a preseason game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
(2)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Joe Ingles has not started the last 3 preseason games for the Jazz and it doesn’t seem to be bothering him one bit. It’s also not surprising to his head coach.
“Joe is comfortable with the team,” said Quin Snyder. “Joe assimilates quickly as well because he can do a lot of things. He’s able to help the team in lots of ways. That versatility on both ends of the floor allows him to be in different situations and be effective regardless of his role.”
It seems like easy-going Joe can do whatever the team needs him to do in any particular game. In Utah’s 126-118 loss to the Blazers, Ingles shooting was needed and he delivered.
Joe with 4️⃣ triples pic.twitter.com/euGfy1oj9X
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 17, 2019
Ingles nailed his first 3-pointer after an offensive rebound in the 2nd quarter. A few possessions later he drained his second triple and gave the Jazz a 45-44 lead, Utah’s first advantage since the opening minutes of the game. He made another 3 a few moments later which gave Utah a 6 point lead. He yelled after that last basket to no one in particular because he’s Joe Ingles.
He made all of those shots while still trying to get into the flow of the game. Snyder said Ingles is playing a similar role to the one he played last season.
“Last year, we started him, but he came out quickly and then he kind of anchored a group on the bench. In some way, his role isn’t drastically different than it may appear,” said Snyder.
I don't know who needs to see this, but pic.twitter.com/QA2bCGgTsN
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 17, 2019
Ingles didn’t cool down in the second half, in more ways than one. He made his first 3 point attempt of the 3rd quarter and then forced C.J. McCollum into a turnover the next time down the floor. He also picked up a technical foul after a turnover.
Ingles ended up with 12 points, 1 assist and 1 rebound in the game, plus he ran the second unit’s offense. In Monday’s game against the Kings, he also tallied 12 points but had 8 assists and 4 rebounds.
Ingles may not start many games this regular season, but you can bet he will finish games and that shouldn’t be a problem for easy-going Joe.
