The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off NBA free agency by signing Joe Ingles to a one-year deal worth $6.3 million.
On the surface, it is a fascinating move. When healthy, Ingles is one of the best bench players in the business, having finished as the runner-up for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award during the 2020-21 season. However, Ingles is currently not healthy, as the veteran forward suffered a devastating ACL injury last season that cut his 2021-22 campaign short. Due to the injury, Ingles will miss a sizeable chunk of next season as well, which makes this move somewhat of a gamble on Milwaukee’s end, given how much they paid to bring him aboard. Still, despite the ACL surgery, this move has the potential to help the Bucks in a big way during the 2023-23 season, and let us look at three reasons why.
No. 1 – Joe Ingles can give the Milwaukee Bucks more facilitating off the bench
Throughout his eight-year career, Joe Ingles has mainly been known for his perimeter shooting, and understandably so, as he has been an outstanding shooter. However, Ingles’ elite shooting ability has made his facilitating and playmaking an underrated aspect of what he brings to the table on a nightly basis. Once the 34-year-old is back on the floor, the Milwaukee Bucks should look to utilize that ball-handling ability by Ingles, as it could help them out tremendously.
For his career, Ingles has averaged 3.8 assists per game, including 4.9 on average over the past five years due to an increased role with the Utah Jazz. Rather than just simply being used as an outside shooter to glue on the perimeter, Ingles can take on the challenge of ball-handling when he is asked to do so, which will alleviate pressure off Jrue Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the team’s other orchestrators offensively. It was clear after the Bucks’ second round loss to the Boston Celtics that the team could have benefitted from having another reliable ball-handler and passer in the second unit, which Ingles will immediately help with.
Despite his phenomenal outside shooting, Ingles himself is on the record stating that he believes his best attribute is his passing ability. Per Sarah Todd of Desert News, Ingles detailed his love for passing the basketball to the media following a six-assist effort last November.
"“Regardless of what I shoot or how I defend, I think my best attribute is my ability to get my teammates involved,” he said after the game. “The most enjoyment and the best thing I can do is the little things to help those other guys.”"
With teammates like Jrue Holiday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and the other pieces on this roster, Ingles should only continue to thrive as a passer.
No. 2 – Joe Ingles can make the Milwaukee Bucks more versatile next season
Circling back to the Milwaukee Bucks’ second round loss to the Boston Celtics this past season, they clearly suffered from a lack of versatility. A significant portion of that could be attributed to the absence of Khris Middleton, who missed the entire series with an MCL sprain. However, even when Middleton was available throughout the regular season, it was clear that the Bucks lacked a similar sense of versatility that helped them win the title the year before. Adding Joe Ingles to this roster will undoubtedly help lessen those concerns next season.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Ingles can play either forward position at a high level, which will immediately help shore up the team’s versatility. The forward can be plugged into several different lineups with the Bucks depending on the situation, which will help tremendously. Defensively, Ingles has never been the most athletic or quickest player, but he has held his own. Ingles will not be utilized in the same breath as players like P.J. Tucker and Wesley Matthews, who were often tasked with taking on the assignment of guarding the opposing team’s best player, but he has proven to be a pest on that side of the ball. Though there are some questions as to how he might look on that side of the basketball coming off this ACL surgery, Ingles could be tasked with guarding different positions at a passable level when he is healthy, which would help to some extent at least. Where Ingles’ impact defensively may be most felt is defending the pick and roll, something the Bucks have struggled with in years past.
When he is healthy, Ingles will give the Bucks a legitimate small ball power forward to utilize in situations that call for Giannis Antetokounmpo to play the center position. Small ball was a key for the Bucks throughout their 2021 title run, as P.J. Tucker masterfully played the role of that smaller power forward next to Antetokounmpo. Though Ingles does not provide the same brand of robust defense that Tucker does, he brings more to the offensive side of the basketball. Shooting north of 40 percent from downtown in his career. Ingles will provide lethal shooting in those small lineups, which will be pivotal to giving Antetokounmpo, Holiday, and others more room to operate.
After watching the Bucks suffer in the postseason due to limited versatility, adding a piece such as Ingles was seemingly something the front office prioritized this offseason.
No. 3 – Joe Ingles can provide elite marksmanship and bench scoring for the Milwaukee Bucks
Two big boxes to check on the Milwaukee Bucks’ offseason to-do list were adding more bench scoring and more outside shooting. With the addition of Joe Ingles, they have strengthened both areas, as the veteran should help the team immediately when he is able to return next season.
Shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range on 4.4 attempts per game over his eight-year career, Ingles has proven to be one of the best long range shooters in the NBA. Perimeter shooting like that will help Ingles fit right in with Milwaukee’s offense, giving them a reliable threat from the outside that can space the floor. Ingles should fit especially well in lineups alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, giving the Greek Freak a lethal kick-out threat from deep that is ready to let it fly with confidence at any given moment.
Adding Ingles should especially help the Bucks in the postseason. Compared to his regular season numbers, Ingles is actually more productive from downtown in the playoffs, having knocked down 39.2 percent of his triples on 5.4 attempts per contest. Despite the smaller sample size, Ingles has proven to be a reliable shooter in the postseason, which is something the Bucks desperately need. It is no secret that Milwaukee has had its share of struggles finding a rhythm from behind the arc in the playoffs over the past several years, and the thought here is that hopefully Ingles can break that mold next season.
In addition to providing more shooting, Ingles will also give the Bucks an added dose of scoring in the second unit. Though his 8.6 points per game for his career are not the most eye-popping from Ingles, the veteran has reached 12.1 on average twice in his career, one of which came during the 2020-21 season, where he finished as the Sixth Man of the Year runner up. Considering that the Bucks’ bench ranked 27th in points per game last season, per NBA.com/stats, adding a scoring threat like Ingles should provide some assistance in bumping that number up. With Bobby Portis likely returning to a bench role as well, he and Ingles could become a solid one-two scoring punch to help eradicate these second unit scoring concerns next season.
Tie this scoring and shooting in with his playmaking and versatility and Ingles has the potential to be a significant addition to this Milwaukee roster in 2022-23.
Stay tuned to see just how Joe Ingles can help the Milwaukee Bucks when he ultimately returns.