Bucks News: Where does the team stand with bringing back Joe Ingles?
Forward Joe Ingles has been a fixture in professional basketball for quite some time in both Australia and in the US. The 35 yr-old has only played 9 years in the NBA. The burley forward was eligible for the draft in 2007 but played professionally in Australia for two years before signing with the Utah Jazz. It was in Utah that his career really took off. A career 8/3/3 guy, Ingles brought the “intangibles” so many teams are looking for (see PJ Tucker) and played a ton of minutes for the Jazz. A career 45% shooter from the field, Ingles really is a very consistent player. He almost always shoots 4 threes a game and makes 40% of those shots.
With so much roster upheaval right now for the Bucks, should Milwaukee bring back Ingles? What about Meyers Leonard or Wesley Matthews? Let’s look a little deeper at the value Ingles brings and if having him back makes statistical and “roster-building” sense.
Related: Should the Bucks resign Meyers Leonard?
(We here at WiSportsHeroics Knew it was going to be a huge offseason for the team. With so many roster pieces in play, GM Jon Horst and his team continue to make lots of big decisions. Keep your eyes here on WiSportsHeroics for the latest news and analysis.)
Related: Should the Bucks Keep Wesley Matthews?
Ingles’ Career with the Bucks
Ingles played in 46 games with the Bucks, averaging about 22 minutes a game. He averaged close to seven points a game (6.9) and hit that career average in threes (.408%).
He was coming off a pretty severe knee injury. Of course that was all “part of the deal”- the Bucks are known throughout the NBA as having some state of the art medical facilities. So the rehab process was all “baked in” to having him as part of the team.
When Ingles did return, it was more of a matter of minute distribution and conditioning than anything else.
His most impressive game in a Bucks uniform was on January 17th against the Toronto Raptors. In that game Ingles was 4 out of 5 from the field, scoring 15 points in 31 minutes. He was 5 of 6 from the line and had 8 assists. He also had 6 rebounds. It was a balanced effort.
Related: Bucks Roster Updates
Potential Reigns Supreme in the NBA
Maybe the better question to ask is, “with more playing time, would Ingles be able to provide serviceable minutes for Milwaukee?” The answer to that question appears to be a resounding “yes”. The forward was called upon a few times last year and did some yeoman-type work. His effort in that Jan. 17th game, as well as impressive games on January 9th (5/11 from three) and Dec. 30th against the Timberwolves (10 assists) helped prove he can deliver.
For Ingles, as with many bench guys, the question probably isn’t the “big game”. It might have more to do with the mid-January back-to-back when the team needs twenty-five solid minutes.
The legendary trash-talker was never called upon to start for Milwaukee. But you’d have to think, if needed, he could.
Final Verdict:
This one might not be up to Milwaukee: Ingles is likely to get some interest from other NBA clubs that want to contend for a title. But if they can, bringing him back to help add depth is not a bad idea.
The answer here seems to be they should bring him back if they can at the right price.
In all of these roster questions, it all feels like a similar refrain for Meyers Leonard, Wesley Matthews and now Ingles. These are all good, older NBA vets that bring a presence to the team. And the team probably doesn’t want them all.
Tomorrow we’ll know the fate of Khris Middleton in a Bucks uniform. That roster move also plays heavily into the others.
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