The third reason Utah Jazz fans love Joe Ingles: Teamwork
Joe Ingles has never produced like a superstar in this league. He’s never been an athletic marvel. He won’t blow past anyone, and he won’t jump over them either.
Ingles may not be a primary offensive weapon, but he’s always been the consummate teammate.
It’s part of what allowed him to post a 2.3 Defensive Box Plus Minus (DBPM) in 2016-17 in spite of those athletic limitations. That would be Ingles’ high water mark as a defender, but he never compromised his effort.
Outside of basketball, it’s always been apparent that Ingles put his teammates first. Whether it was giving them a light ribbing in a postgame interview, or a word of encouragement in the heat of battle, he’s always been there for his teammates.
Even with a torn ACL, we expect that to continue to be the case.
With any luck, we haven’t seen the last of Joe Ingles in a Utah Jazz uniform. If his injury rehab goes well, he could still be a contributor in 2022-23, his would-be age 35 season. If we have, Jazz fans surely will not take him for granted.