Utah Jazz: Making the case for Joe Ingles as sixth man

Balance from starters to reserves

In the history of the NBA, we have seen many instances where a superior player takes on the sixth man role because it benefits the team. Currently, we have players like Manu Ginobli, Jamal Crawford, Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams and the most recent Sixth Man of the Year winner, Eric Gordon.

Historically, we’ve had capable starters in Toni Kukoc, Michael Cooper and Vinnie Johnson come off the bench for championship teams. Even Hall of Famers like John Havlicek and Kevin McHale started their careers off the bench. We need to overcome the notion that being a starter means you are the better player.

Generally, the reason it benefits the team is because it provides roster balance. When teams go from their starters to reserves, some drop-off is expected, but if you can limit the dip in production, then you can gain an advantage over the other team.

The Jazz have great depth, and allowing Ingles to come off the bench gives them an even greater advantage. He is never going to be a volume scorer or a go-to guy, but he is a capable scorer and playmaker. Put him in a position where he is playing most of his time against second units, and he should be able to have a larger impact.

Coming off the bench not only gives him an easier opportunity to score, but it allows him to be used more as a ball handler and distributor, which are some of his greatest strengths. If Ingles is likely to play 24 minutes a game, regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench, I expect his numbers would be superior with the second unit.

Starting your best five players isn’t always the best option, and with the Jazz next season, Ingles would bring a greater balance between reserves and starters coming off the bench.