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This offseason, the Utah Jazz have been hyped more than any other since the end of the Stockton-Malone era, and for good reason: The Jazz have star power, headlined by Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. These two are clearly Utah’s favorite sons. Mitchell is a star, disputed runner-up for Rookie of the Year, and has an outside shot at MVP this season. Rudy Gobert was the undisputed Defensive Player of the Year, and is a key leader on the team.
Only one player on the Jazz, though, is a meme. That would be one Joseph Howarth Ingles of Happy Valley, South Australia.
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It’s basically the NBA equivalent of a rick-roll, and it’s awesome.
Another favorite activity of NBA Twitter is to compare Ingles to the beleaguered Toby Flenderson of The Office:
Man Joe Ingles from the Utah Jazz reminds me of Toby from The Office pic.twitter.com/lvkVVNRRLd
— Chris Daniels (@sirchrisdaniels) May 7, 2017
Yes, Joe Ingles is a meme, but what does he do?
Well, for starters, he gets buckets, and he prefers to get them three points at a time. This is undoubtedly his most valuable contribution to the team. Here’s a snapshot of his shooting prowess last season:
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Yes, our unassuming 2014 bargain bin pickup is now top ten in the league in made three-pointers and three-point percentage. I admit, I thought Rodney Hood was the answer from the three-point line back then. I was wrong, as my sports predictions often are.
Joe Ingles puts in work.
It is clear that he loves the game of basketball and he cares about honing his game. Since his rookie NBA season, Joe has improved in meaningful ways every season, which is a quite impressive feat as most don’t expect much improvement from a player entering his 30s.
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Joe Ingles plays basketball. Yes, yes, I know I’ve mentioned this. However, there’s something else I should add: Joe Ingles plays basketball every night. Or at least, almost every night. Since his rookie season in 2014, the Jazz have played 328 games. Ingles has appeared in three hundred and twenty four of them. He’s durable, and he’s been nothing but dependable during his time in Salt Lake City.
Joe Ingles is the best trash-talker on the team.
Exhibit A.
Exhibit B.
Exhibit C.
Joe Ingles is RUTHLESS. The disrespect is off the charts. pic.twitter.com/9GjcgYAqcN
— Kevin Richardson (@ItsKrich) April 22, 2017
I don’t know how to quantify this, but there’s no question that Ingles’ antics on the court get under the skin of his opponents. Not only do they they know they’re getting beat, but they’re getting beat by Toby Flenderson, and Toby Flenderson is rubbing their noses in it. Amazing.
Joe Ingles drinks a lot of coffee.
Let’s hope @NespressoUSA ‘next day’ delivery works one time & I actually get it the next day... supply is low! ☕️
— Joe Ingles (@Joeingles7) September 24, 2018
Yep. Just go to his twitter feed. The man loves his caffeine.
Joe Ingles is a solid husband and father.
Told ya I’m funny @RenaeIngles pic.twitter.com/2cUI8vCTsu
— Joe Ingles (@Joeingles7) September 8, 2018
Yes, he’s a family man, and I’m sure he’s even better at that than he is at shooting threes.
So what should we expect from Joe Ingles this year? In short, buckets, hustle, trash talk, and stand-up off-court presence. So grab your tim-tams, pour yourself a drink of your choice, (I like milk, but others use cocoa, and I wonder if Ingles does coffee) and buckle up.
It’s gonna be a good season.