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As we get into the “playoff bubble” portion of the Milwaukee Bucks roster, Australian do-it-all forward Joe Ingles drew the shortest straw, coming in ninth in our annual rankings exercise.
Ingles, who turns 35 in a few weeks, is indeed coming off a torn ACL, which is not a positive omen for someone who already wasn’t considered a dynamic NBA athlete. The age and injury concerns were probably enough to push him down this list, but the upside is definitely there. Here’s what we wrote back in June:
Joe Ingles is a proven vet who is tough-as-nails and an asset on the floor, despite being a poor athlete (by NBA standards). He shoots 40.8% on threes over his 8-year career, and at 6’8” he at least has the size to serve at either forward spot. Additionally, he’s an outspoken advocate for autism awareness, and while he’s a beloved teammate Ingles has also earned a reputation as one of the NBA’s premier trash talkers.
Over his 8 years in the NBA, Ingles has earned his reputation as one of the league’s premier role players, combining his savvy offensive game with an equally-savvy approach to team defense. He’s not a lockdown wing by any stretch of the imagination, but he knows where to be and how to communicate, which are attributes that the rest of Milwaukee’s capable defense will benefit from. Will he be healthy enough to contribute at that level? Only time will tell.
Now that we’re getting into the top eight, things are going to get interesting. Every name on this list from here on out is almost guaranteed to be considered for playoff minutes, so determining which is “more important” will be sure to spark discussion and debate! How wonderful!
