4) Joe Ingles, SF — Australia
Whodathunk four years ago when Dante Exum was entering the league as a No. 5 overall pick with his own Adidas ad campaign that another, much older Aussie with male-pattern baldness — who was cut during training camp by the LA Clippers — would end up being the better player?
The jury may still be out on Exum, but that’s legitimately where things stand right now with Joe Ingles.
Slow-Mo’ Joe is proof positive that you can teach an old dog new tricks. All you need is the right dog. This past season, at age 30, he was arguably a top 10 player at his position league-wide. In his first year as a full-time starter, he averaged double figures and finished in the top five in the NBA in 3-point percentage for the second straight year.
Bottom line — Ingles has been a godsend for Utah. He’s stepped up and excelled in every role Jazz coach Quin Snyder has asked him to assume in his four years with the team and shown himself to be one of the game’s most multi-faceted talents. So what if running and jumping aren’t among said talents?!
Jazz stats: 324 GP (121 starts), 7.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, .467 FG%, .440 3P%
Next: No. 3