3 wild cards for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2022-23 NBA season

Joe Ingles could be a wild card for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2022-23 NBA season

Aside from re-signing Bobby Portis, the Milwaukee Bucks’ big move in free agency was signing veteran sharpshooter Joe Ingles. Despite Ingles tearing his ACL last season, the Bucks appear to be confident in the forward’s ability to perform once he is cleared to return as they inked him to a one-year deal worth $6.5 million. Given that Ingles is coming off this significant injury and will be 35 years old shortly, many have questioned the move, which is understandable. However, there is another side to the coin where Ingles could be a significant mid-season addition to Milwaukee’s rotation next season.

When healthy, Ingles was an incredibly reliable bench contributor with the Utah Jazz throughout his entire career. Across his eight seasons thus far, Ingles has primarily been known for his lethal marksmanship, having shot 40.8 percent from 3-point land on 4.4 attempts per game. Of course, the Bucks prioritize their outside shooting, so Ingles could provide some assistance in that regard. He could also give the team another ball-handler and facilitator off the bench, having averaged an eye-catching 3.8 assists per contest for his career. There were too many instances last year when the Bucks needed another ball-handler in the second unit, and Ingles should help with that.

While Ingles may not help strengthen the defense, especially coming off an ACL injury, the Bucks do not need him to be elite on that side of the court. This move was clearly about adding one of the league’s most experienced bench players who can provide more shooting and playmaking when called upon. In the postseason, those two attributes could be incredibly valuable for the Bucks, and if Ingles is back to being who he was before his injury, the 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year runner-up could be a potential difference-maker. The only question is which version of Ingles the Bucks will get when he ultimately is ready to hit the hardwood at some point next season.

Stay tuned to see how these three perform for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2022-23 season.