Thursday’s shootaround ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ visit on January 8 was chaotic. As Mike Conley spoke to the media, Joe Ingles became a chaos agent.
“Mike, nobody cares, we gotta get JC (Jaylen Clark) through so we can play,” Ingles belted over Conley, who was answering a question about Jaden McDaniels.
As Conley let out a chuckle, Ingles continued, “Mike’s done, guys. Come on,” before kicking a basketball and attempting to hit the ceiling, which I can only assume gave the Minnesota Timberwolves public relations staff a heart attack.
Conley laughed again before saying, “I wish Joe could play with me some more.”
Joe Ingles has been a veteran off the bench during his time with the Timberwolves. That arguably isn’t what he signed up for when he came to Minnesota last year, leaving his family behind in Florida, and going on his own to a new city for the first time.
He was expected to be a role player, his shooting and intellect making up for the departing Kyle Anderson. However, he soon found himself out of the rotation and relegated to the bench.
A situation that may have broken some players in the later stages of their career. However, Ingles embraced it, becoming a veteran shoulder for players to lean on, figuratively and literally. After the season, he returned home to his family, and he shocked many fans when he decided to return to the Wolves bench as a key, vocal leader. However, for most fans, his role on the team may not be understood.
After Conley sauntered away from the media scrum, Clark spoke to the media, and the pandemonium ensued. The Wolves’ PR staff had instructed Ingles to stop kicking the basketball. An act that appeared only to cause Ingles to become further determined to kick the ball and hit the gym ceiling.
Booms, thuds, and Ingles’ curse words ensued as Clark attempted to keep a straight face while talking to the media. Finally, though, I had to ask, “What is it about Joe that makes him so valuable?”
“He’ll say whatever,” said Clark. “He doesn’t really care.”
“He’s like positive in a messed-up way,” Clark continued, laughing.
“I don’t know how to say it. Like [Ingles] always tells you what you need to hear. He don’t care what he’s saying. I mean, you can look at him right now, he don’t care. Free (a member of the public relations staff) told him to stop kicking the ball, but he’s just a good dude to have around. He’s very different from what I thought he would be like before he got here.
Then a basketball hit the TV monitor, causing a loud bang.
“Oh wow,” Clark said in reaction. “OH.”
“RELAX,” Ingles said, looking at the media and public relations.
“He always knows what to say,” Clark reiterated with a smile.
Clark scurried away to the far court after one last question to join Ingles and the rest of the reserves for a scrimmage. Still, the interaction made me think of something Chris Finch had said about Joe Ingles during the last playoffs, when they were on their Western Conference finals run.
“He’s been everything for us in terms of maturity,” said Finch. “He’s helped all the young guys, he’s helped all the vets. … Everyone always talks about you have to have vets on your team to help everybody, but the dirty little secret is, a lot of vets you may not want on your team.
“You know, they’re trying to hang on to their career, they’re salty, they’re selfish. … Not all vets are created the same. In Joe, we have an All-Star in that capacity. He’s selfless, direct, has the right approach, and, like I said, he helped everybody from Rob Dillingham to Rudy.”
That’s the key with Joe Ingles, he’s the key to keeping the Wolves connected. He has a unique relationship with every player on the team. He’s able to call out anybody because he carries the gravitas of an accomplished veteran, and his selflessness comes without any agendas at this point in his career. After Minnesota’s 131-122 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Conley shed more light on Ingles for fans.
“Honestly, he’s one of the smartest players to play the game,” he said. “I don’t think people understand that, his mind, his ability to see things, he still helps me out when I’m out there.”
“He is just easy to be around,” Conley continued. “I think he has a personal relationship with everybody, and he’s himself regardless of who you are.”
Ingles’s ability to be unapologetically himself with everyone on the team is the reason he’s still in the NBA. He also helps younger players build the habits that are important to success in the league.
“It’s great for (the young players) to have some good examples to follow,” said Gobert. “Players come into the league, and they are going to soak in what they see every day, so it’s better for them to have good influences around them. … It’s always great to have guys like Mike Conley and Joe who can show you what a true professional is.”
For the development of those young players, from starters like Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels to role players like Clark and Rob Dillingham, Joe Ingles is invaluable. For the coaches, he adds another basketball brain to the room that can communicate their message in ways they might not. It got me thinking, though, what is he for the “old” guys in the team?
“It’s absolutely crazy, I never expected us to still be together to this point,” Conley said regarding what it means for him to have Ingles alongside him. “I didn’t expect to still be around at 38. I thought I would be long retired, Joe as well. It’s obviously cool that we’ve been through so much together. … I think it helps this team a lot. We have so much we can speak on.”
Gobert also spoke about what it meant to him to have Ingles and Conley on the Wolves during the playoffs last season.
“That’s special,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of battles together, so having this opportunity to accomplish our dream or goal together would be kind of poetic. … I want to do whatever it takes to do that for them.”
In his two seasons with the Wolves, Ingles has played just 154 minutes and scored just 17 points. However, the way his teammates speak about him is that of an All-Star, a professional who is eager to help the next generation of players, while motivating the old guard. He’s a coach in a uniform, a connector in the locker room.
Joe Ingles is a perfect example of a veteran, even if he drives the public relations staff crazy by kicking basketballs at TVs.