In a pair of recent interviews, Utah Jazz 3-point extraordinaire Joe Ingles didn’t mince words about his sharpshooting ability.
The Utah Jazz are a team full of personalities, but the one that may very well stand out above the rest is that of Aussie Joe Ingles. Joe has a hilarious sense of humor and a wittiness about him that is infectious to any and all that interact with him. Not only that, but he’s built a reputation as a gritty defender and irritating trash-talker, the kind of guy you love to have on your team but hate to play against.
On top of all that, it’s been fascinating to watch Ingles transform over the years. He went from an afterthought – he was released by the LA Clippers and had to fight tooth and nail for a spot with the Jazz – to now being one of the deadliest 3-point shooters in the NBA.
In conjunction with his incredible rise on the court, unsurprisingly his confidence has increased with each passing year as well. That seems to have peaked to an all-time high, as heading into this season, Ingles fully believes that he’s the best shooter in the league.
Donovan Mitchell said that he expected Joe Ingles to shoot 45 times against his hometown club, Adelaide.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 5, 2018
When asked about it, Joe Ingles said he couldn't possibly shoot that many times, because "that would mean Donovan has to pass the ball, which we all know is not happening."
In Utah’s preseason contest against the Toronto Raptors, an affair in which the Jazz won by 15 points, Ingles got off to somewhat of a slow start. However, he quickly turned things around, caught fire and was the catalyst that kept Utah alive in an otherwise ugly second quarter and helped dominate the second half. He finished with 24 points which included going 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) from deep.
After the contest, he was asked if it was difficult to maintain confidence after getting off to a slow start. However, Joe quickly brushed off the sentiment as nonsense by stating, “No. I’m the best shooter in the league. That’s a silly question.”
Reporter: “After the first few (shots) didn’t go in, was it hard to maintain that confidence to keep shooting?”
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) October 3, 2018
Joe Ingles: “No. I’m the best shooter in the league. That’s a silly question.”
Classic Jingles! Way to celebrate birthday No. 31.
It would have been easy to write this off as classic Ingles humor, but he wasn’t messing around. Prior to Friday’s contest against his hometown team Adelaide 36ers, he reaffirmed the sentiment. When asked if he considered himself the best shooter in the league, he responded by simply saying, “Oh I am. Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” Then, per the Deseret News’ Eric Woodyard, he went on to state the following–
"I honestly feel like they’re all going to go in when I shoot the ball. When I feel like it’s my shot within the flow of the offense and getting in any rhythm, I feel like I should make every one of them. That’s why it (ticks) me off in practice when I miss open shots because I feel like I should make them.”"
You can check it all out yourself in the video below–
Jazz sharpshooter Joe Ingles says he’s the best shooter in the NBA. “I feel like they’re all gonna go in when I shoot the ball,” Ingles said. pic.twitter.com/icdM6CQvY5
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) October 5, 2018
Considering that Ingles has been among the top in the league the past couple years in 3-point percentage, it’s hard to argue with him. He’s shot 44 percent or better from deep in each of the past two years, and considering that he did so on 5.7 attempts last season, that’s an incredible mark.
When Ingles was asked where he gained his confidence as a shooter, he gave props to his coach Quin Snyder. Ingles hasn’t been shy about his support of the Jazz head coach, and considering how well Quin and Co. have helped him break out of his shell and revolutionize his game, it isn’t hard to see why.
Joe then went on to praise his teammates as well, saying that their support and encouragement to pull the trigger when he has the ball has gone a long way.
Joe Ingles on if he thinks he's the best shooter in the league: "Why wouldn't I?" Asked where that confidence comes from, he says "That guy over there in a blue hat." Quin Snyder was wearing a blue hat.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 5, 2018
In my opinion, this is all an excellent sign for the upcoming season. Even though 5.7 attempts from deep was a pretty good mark for Ingles last season, I still felt there were times that he was a little gun-shy and would have liked to see him up that rate. With his coaches and teammates standing behind him and his belief at a new level as he aims to prove his self-proclaimed title as the best shooter in basketball, it would be awesome to see him take (and make) even more 3-balls this year.
If he becomes that quick to pull the trigger on open and in-rhythm shots, it could pump some extreme life into Utah’s offense, just as it did in their recent preseason bout against Toronto. In that contest, Ingles almost single-handedly kept the Jazz in the game and helped push them to victory. If he has officially overcome his occasional timidness from last year and is willing to let it fly when the opportunity is his, he and the Jazz could both be in a great spot.
Ingles considers himself the best shooter in the game. And he has the track record to prove it. If he keeps it up and perhaps possibly even improves, expect he and the Jazz to be even more of a daunting force in 2018-19.