The Milwaukee Bucks made what seemed like a huge gamble when they signed Joe Ingles in the off-season.
At the time, Ingles was still recovering from an ACL injury that he sustained while he and his former team Utah Jazz were playing the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 20, 2022.
Sidelined for almost a year due to the injury, the Australian is back in stride, and the Bucks are glad to see that the gamble is starting to pay dividends.
Slow start
Ingles made his debut with Milwaukee on December 19th. In his first five games, he averaged a paltry 3.8 points and 1.4 assists in 17.6 minutes per game.
The subpar numbers were understandable; the 35-year-old was still trying to find his rhythm following a long layoff. But lately, it seems like he is finding his groove.
Ingles produced stellar numbers in Milwaukee’s 123-114 win over Minnesota on December 30th. In what was his best performance for the Bucks, the veteran tallied a double-double with 14 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds in 24 minutes of play.
Since then, Ingles has increased his scoring average to 8.8. points in 23.8 minutes per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field over the stretch.
Ingles is making an impact for the Bucks
Ingles may not produce big numbers—he's averaged 5.2 assists over the last nine games—but the opportunities that he creates for his teammates are what make the Bucks a dangerous team.
Milwaukee is armed with one of the most dominant inside forces in the league right now in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and having Ingles on the team will certainly complement the Greek Freak. The 35-year-old adds to the group of shooters that the Bucks have, and that will force opposing teams to think twice before throwing multiple defenders on Antetokounmpo.
His knack for finding open teammates and his supreme playmaking ability will certainly make Ingles a prime commodity come playoff time when defenses get tighter and steadiness is a must.
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