Is Joe Ingles a top 10 Small Forward in the NBA?

In the wake of Gordon “Daddy’s always happy” Hayward’s departure, many give credit for continued Utah Jazz success to Donovan Mitchell, as the star that emerged from the ashes. However, we could probably give a little more credit to the player that actually took his roster spot. The Australian Ace, Joe Ingles has stepped up in a way nobody could have possibly imagined just a few years ago. When asked whether he believed he was the best shooter in the league, he replied with the following:

Jinglin’ Joe made Basketball Reference’s top 15 Small Forwards Ranking this past weekend. Where did he land? They decided he was the 8th-best Small Forward in the league. More importantly, where did Gordon Hayward place in comparison? He was ranked 6th-best Small Forward. Pretty good for a player who was undrafted and subsequently cut from the LA Clippers roster.

If the Utah Jazz need a stop against an opposing wing, they can call on Joe Ingles.

He was a sterling defender throughout the 2017-18 campaign, but his coup de grace came in a first-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Throughout that series, he got under Paul George’s skin and kept him in check. With impressive lateral quickness and tremendous instincts, Ingles doesn’t cede space easily and rarely lets his mark sneak between him and the basket. ...

A steady presence in the pick-and-roll game who can connect on pocket passes and keep his eyes up in search of feed opportunities, Ingles always manages to rack up a respectable number of assists. Last season, only nine players listed at 6’8” or taller averaged more dimes. If that isn’t enough, he’s also one of the most dangerous marksmen in the Association.

(Read more)

There must be a misunderstanding, however, as Joe is quite undeniably the #1 Small Forward in the league.

News around the league:

• Miami and Minnesota neared a deal this weekend on Jimmy Butler. Then at the last moment, Minnesota asked for more and Miami temporarily cut trade talks at that point. There will undoubtedly be further talks, as the Minnesota Owner’s demand for Butler to be traded still stands.
• Spurs rookie and 18th overall pick, Lonnie Walker IV, suffered a right medial meniscus tear, and is scheduled to undergo surgery today (10/8). He could miss as much as 6-8 weeks.
• Seattle has a deal in hand to receive an NHL team. This would likely include an arena deal, which has led some to speculate about the possible return of the NBA team, the Seattle Supersonics. Since the Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City to become the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, Seattle has been one of the primary locations when expansion teams have been discussed.

The visiting Adelaide 36ers faced off against the Utah Jazz in the NBA preseason. For a full breakdown of the game, see our Game Recap here.

The Australian team left Jazz fans in attendance with a parting gift.

Forward Anthony Drmic missed his two free throws with 5:35 left to go in the fourth quarter, spreading Chick-Fil-A goodness to all onlookers. We accept this olive branch, in fact, this is the type of guest behavior that can get you a second invite!

Sneaker Watch:

Donovan Mitchell wore some pretty nice Adidas Pro Bounce Low PEs in the game vs Adelaide. On the inside, there was a message for him.

That motto encapsulates who Donovan is as a person pretty well, I would say.

Since we are a few games into the preseason, we now have a small enough sample size to determine how many regular-season wins the Utah Jazz will get this season. Time to put your money where your mouth is. Please, haters should not vote in this poll if they are going to skew the results.