The Utah Jazz have a rookie from Australia … and it’s not their 19-year-old point guard, Dante Exum.
It’s their 6’8″, 216-pound small forward who has earned the respect of the Jazz fan base, Joe Ingles.
Some people call him Bojangles.
Some people call him Jingles.
Some people even call him Big Joe.
How has someone that averages 3.7 points, 2.4 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and shoots 31 percent from the floor become one of the fan favorites of the Utah Jazz?
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When was the day that Joe Ingles became a blessing and a catalyst for a young Jazz team that wants to take the next step in their organization and start consistently winning games?
There’s been many interesting ways to describe Ingles’ game, and one of the easiest and best descriptions is very simple, the Old Man YMCA game.
For all of those who have played pick-up basketball, there’s normally one person one the court who’s more mature, and older in age, but he’s on the court to stay in shape and to remain active.
However a lot of people might see the old man on the court as a burden, but he’s actually one of the pillars of the team. When he’s open he’ll take the shot, and make it. He’ll be the first person to crash the boards.
He’s normally the first person to find the best scoring opportunity for his teammates, and he’s normally the person that calms down his teammates when the momentum starts to shift.
Ingles does all of that for the Jazz, and then some. Because at the age of 27, he’s far from being an old man, but he’s closer to being a very great role player.
Grantland named him as a Luke Walton All-Star, which gives recognition “for journeymen thriving in unexpectedly large roles.”
It’s easy to see how Ingles was a decorated international player in his basketball career his entire life. It’s because of the little things on the court that he does when he plays the game of basketball. But of course winning the 2013-14 championship with Maccabi Tel Aviv, one of the most illustrious international basketball teams overseas, doesn’t hurt his legacy as well.
There’s a reason why Ingles is apart of an NBA roster, and it’s not solely because he’s a familiar face for his Jazz teammate Dante Exum, it’s because he’s a good player.
Ingles may not be the fastest, strongest, or most athletic basketball player on the court. But one thing is for certain, anytime that he steps onto the court he’s one of the smartest players on the hardwood. Unlike a physical body, a mind is unguardable.
For example when Ingles played against the Brooklyn Nets on January 24, 2015 he played very intelligent. Ingles led the fast break and found open shots for players such as Exum. When he was in the half court setting he also would look for Enes Kanter, and Gordon Hayward with the use of the pick and roll.
Ingles even started throwing outlet passes from his baseline to the opposite baseline to Hayward to start a one-on-one fast break. The result of his intelligence allowed Ingles to walk off of the court with his best game as an NBA player going for a career-high 16 points, one rebound, five assists, and one steal.
It’s because of his basketball skill and perseverance that Ingles was a part of historic first for Australian basketball.
When Ingles and the Utah Jazz played against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 19,, Ingles along with his teammate Exum, and the Spurs duo of Aron Baynes, and Patty Mills combined to make four players on the court from the Australian national team, which not only is a first for Australian basketball, but also for the NBA.
Ingles not only has supporters in Australia, Utah, and throughout the world, he’s also starting to earn the respect of his NBA peers.
In an interview with Simon Legg, of Sportal NBA Australia, the Los Angeles Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin said this:
“I love Joe, he’s a great player and a great guy, I really enjoyed playing with him in the preseason … . He and I hung out a fair bit together and became really close. I still talk to him to this day and I’m happy to see him doing well in Utah and getting a chance because he deserves it.”
It’s been a long time coming for Ingles even though he’s done so much in the game of basketball outside of the NBA.
What’s really interesting to think about is that Ingles has won basketball championships in three different leagues, including the Euroleague championship, the 2009 National Basketball League championship (Australia), and the 2014 Ligat HaAl championship (Israel), and he’s competed in FIBA events with the Australian National team.
With plays like this, maybe he can become a part of a championship team in Salt Lake City.
Next: How Starting Will Make Dante Exum Play More Aggressive