The Utah Jazz suffered a significant loss with Joe Ingles suffering a season-ending torn ACL. Ingles is an integral part of the Jazz and his absence will be felt.
They are 30-21 on the season, which places them in the fourth spot in the Western Conference. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have played well and are the reason why the Jazz are one of the best teams in the NBA. Mitchell is averaging 25.5 points per game paired with 4.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists. He is growing into a superstar and will be the catalyst of how far they go in the postseason.
Gobert has been the anchor of the defense again, defending the rim at an elite level. He is averaging 16 points per game, along with a league-leading 15.1 rebounds while shooting a hyper-efficient 70.7% from the field. He is also tallying 2.3 blocks per contest.
The all-around game of Ingles will be missed as he provides three-point shooting, defense, and playmaking off the bench. Ingles was a great complimentary piece to Mitchell and Gobert, and his production will need to be picked up by his teammates. Ingles was putting up 7.2 points and 3.5 assists per game before being sidelined.
Here are three Jazz players who must step up with Joe Ingles out for the season.
3. Jordan Clarkson
The Jazz lost a crucial bench piece in Ingles, which leaves Clarkson to step up even more. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award last season due to his incredible scoring punch off the bench.
This season, he is averaging 15.5 points per game, which is a decrease of about three points from last year. With Ingles out, he will have to adapt and become more of a playmaker off the bench. His scoring will still be important, but creating more plays for his teammates would help the bench unit.
2. Royce O'Neale
Another thing that will be missed from Ingles is his defensive capability. O'Neale has been a good defender for the Jazz while providing great three-point shooting. He is often put on opposing teams' best forwards, and his defense will be even more crucial.
He has been a great role player for the team but he will need to play an even bigger role moving forward. O'Neale is averaging 7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per outing. He is also shooting a very efficient 41.1% from behind the arc.
1. Rudy Gay
While Clarkson and O'Neale will be important, Gay will be the most vital player in Ingles' absence. He was brought in by the Jazz in the offseason to add much-needed depth at the forward position.
Gay is averaging 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He's far past his prime but is still a solid role player and will see increased minutes with Ingles out. Gay will need to continue being a solid scorer off the bench and pick up his defensive intensity.
The Jazz have a long road ahead with a tough Western Conference. Teams like the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are the top contenders, with many other talented teams also not too far behind. The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled despite championship aspirations, but a team like the Jazz wouldn't want to go up against them in an early-round series in the NBA Playoffs.
Ingles will be missed by the Jazz, and the role players will need to pick up the slack.
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