Joe Ingles has been very productive in Mike Conley’s absence; now that will need to continue

Atlanta • When Joe Ingles was asked on Monday about how Mike Conley’s imminent return would impact the team, and more specifically, if he believed it would precipitate him moving back to the bench, he was a bit incredulous in his response.

“I think it’s pretty obvious I will be, right?” Ingles said. “It doesn’t [change anything]. I’m more excited to have him coming back than anything else. We’ll figure it out. I’ll figure it out.”

Turns out, it wasn’t quite so simple after all.

While Conley did indeed return to the lineup in Tuesday’s win against the Magic, Ingles remained in the starting five, while Royce O’Neale moved into a reserve role.

Coach Quin Snyder saw the way Ingles had raised his level of play in those five games Conley missed with a sore hamstring, and apparently decided the Jazz were best-served, and their rotations most optimally adjusted, by having the Aussie remain in there at the start.

And now, with Conley likely to miss multiple weeks after re-injuring his hamstring vs. Orlando, it goes without saying that Ingles will again be counted upon heavily to fill the production void.

On Tuesday vs. Orlando, he nailed all four of his 3-point tries and dropped in a cool 16 points and 12 rebounds. Against Golden State on Saturday, he contributed 13 points and eight assists. Then vs. Minnesota, 23 points, five boards and five dimes. Against the Thunder, he had eight assists. And vs. the Grizzlies, 12 points and 10 assists.

“Joe’s mindset changed a little bit because he had the ball in his hands more, so I think he just lost himself in the game,” said Snyder. “That was true of Mike earlier in the year when he was thinking about making a shot, or Donovan [Mitchell] at various times. When you are able to lose yourself in the game collectively, that usually helps you individually, as a player, relax, make better decisions and all those things.”

The recent uptick in productivity would seem to validate his point. Ingles is, after all, still now only up to 8.6 points and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 40.5% from the field and 35.5% from 3. (He is, however, averaging a career-high 4.4 rebounds.)

For his part, Ingles said he hasn’t been consciously trying to do anything different.

“I don’t go out there thinking of getting myself in a rhythm or getting myself going,” Ingles said. “We’re trying to win games, and obviously I know I’m an important part of our team. But my job, and what I did when I was starting games, was to try and make it easier for Donovan and Bojan.”

Snyder added that the results are speaking for themselves, not merely in terms of tangible statistical evidence, but also by observing Ingles’ ever-increasing comfort level on the court.

“Everybody’s seen the way that Joe’s started to find some of his timing, and the way he’s started to shoot the ball,” Snyder said.

Snyder also went to great lengths to emphasize that Ingles’ inclusion in the lineup Tuesday was not any kind of referendum on O’Neale’s play. Of course, O’Neale figures to be right back in the starting five anyway on Thursday evening, when the Jazz face the Hawks.

Nevertheless, the coach went on to point out that how those two players have handled the situation speaks volumes about them individually, and the roster collectively.

“The best thing about our team, I pulled Royce in [Tuesday] before the scouting report where we announce the starting lineups is out, because I don’t like guys to be surprised by those things. Royce is like, ‘Coach, I’m good,’” Snyder recounted. “He doesn’t care, Joe doesn’t care — they just want to win.”