Utah Jazz: Making the case for Joe Ingles as sixth man
By John Keeffer
With the departure of Gordon Hayward, small forward has become a weaker position for the Utah Jazz. While Joe Ingles may be the best SF on the roster, there is an argument that he’s better suited to come off the bench.
Last week I wrote an article going over the three most intriguing lineups the Utah Jazz can roll out next season. To start, I went over our roster as it currently stands, and listed who I think will start and who our main reserves will be. Almost in passing, I listed Thabo Sefolosha as our starter over Joe Ingles for next season.
Whoa. You would think I had insulted someone’s Grandmother.
I guess I should have expected it. As a player who makes the most of his limited athleticism by using craftiness and intelligence, and one who happens to look like he was recently called up from a church-ball league in Provo, it’s no wonder Ingles has become a fan favorite.
Let me get this out of the way now; like most Jazz fans out there, I love Joe Ingles. Not just as a player, but as a person. When he got his four-year, $52 million contract, he said, “Nobody in the world needs that much money.”
He and his wife have even stated that they will use much of the money to assist with underprivileged families throughout the Utah. There is just no way not to like a guy like that.
As far as his play, he is also extremely fun to watch because his style is so unorthodox. Nicknamed Slow-Mo Joe for a reason, he plays at his own pace, picks his spots and uses his body well to get into the lane.
The question I am asking isn’t who is the better player. Or who means more to the team and franchise. The answer to that one is easy. It’s Joe Ingles. The fact that both were free agents this off-season and Ingles signed for $52 million while Sefolosha signed for $10.5 million, confirms that.
The question I am asking is who should be the starter, and what gives the team a better chance to succeed.
David Locke, host of the Locked on Jazz podcast, radio voice of the Utah Jazz and the Jazz NBA Insider, recently released a podcast where he stated that he believes Sefolosha and Ingles will likely split the minutes at the small forward position 50/50.
It is commonly said that it doesn’t matter who starts the game, but it’s who finishes the game that matters. In most scenarios, Ingles is going to be the one finishing games, and that’s what matters most.
Having said that, here are three reasons why I would like to see Sefolosha as the starter over Ingles and how the move could benefit the Jazz next season.