Utah Jazz: Player Awards at the Halfway Point

Sixth Man of the Year

Once again, there are several Jazz players who could have qualified for this award. My initial reaction was to pin Utah’s leading bench scorer, Trey Lyles, as the winner, but after further consideration I’ve decided to go elsewhere.

Lyles has undoubtedly been an effective spark for the Jazz and an improving three-point threat at the four position, but his inefficient and streaky shooting have been a bit frustrating and at times detrimental.

Shelvin Mack is another guy who could be considered for the award as he has done a commendable job of helping the Jazz maneuver their way through several injuries and has logged a number of double-figure games, but like Lyles, his inconsistency as well as his tendency to turn the ball over keep him out of the running as well.

There’s a couple of other guys you could make an argument for as well, but I’m going to go ahead and give this award to Joe Ingles. Despite his low scoring average of just 6.5 points per game, Ingles has still been a critical part of Utah’s overall success. He’s been red hot from deep this season despite a recent mini-slump as he is converting on over 44.4 percent of his attempts.

When the Jazz have needed someone to act as a reliable three-point threat and hit timely shots, they’ve relied heavily on Joe Ingles who has filled his role perfectly this season and done whatever has been asked of him.

Not to mention, he’s an incredible teammate, a great presence in the locker room and the ultimate glue guy that keeps the Jazz’s second unit together. He’s fundamentally sound and rarely makes a bad decision. Also, his defense has been great, most recently in his ability to fluster LeBron James in Utah’s win over Cleveland.

All in all, Ingles has been one of Utah’s most dependable players and, while he’s not always the most flashy, his reliability is a key reason why he deserves sixth man honors.

Sixth Man of the Year – Joe Ingles

More from The J-Notes

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• Best, Worst and Most likely scenarios for the Utah Jazz this season
• Hoops Hype downplays the significance of the Utah Jazz’s valuable assets
• 3 Utah Jazz players who have the most to gain or lose this season
• Former Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay is a free agent still and it shouldn’t surprise anyone

So there you have it folks, the halfway point of the NBA season is upon us and while there are several Utah Jazz players deserving of recognition these are the guys I felt have most earned each individual award.

But as I noted, several were tough decisions and could have gone a number of ways. So who would you pin as the Jazz winners of these awards at this point in the season? Let me know by commenting below or hitting me up on Twitter.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com