Aussies in NBA: When Joe Ingles fires, his teammates follow

In the new year Joe Ingles has been getting the chance he has craved all season. His minutes have been relatively consistent and coach Quin Snyder is allowing him to play his natural game.

Unfortunately for both the Jazz and Jingles, he is struggling to make his shots. He has by no means been taking bad shots, but he just can't get his shooting rhythm going.

In Utah's four games in 2016, Ingles is averaging 18 minutes per game, but has shot a combined 8/25 (32%) from the field.

In a blow-out loss to the Spurs yesterday, Ingles played his best all-round game in a couple of weeks. Admittedly, the majority of his production did come in junk time, but he finished with 8 points (3/6 FG), 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv5UD-Q8ddw

An interesting stat that shows just how important Slo-Mo Joe is to the Jazz, is his shooting percentage in wins compared to that in losses. When the Jazz win, Ingles shoots the ball much more efficiently. Simply put, when Jingles is on, often so is the rest of the team.

In 15 Jazz wins, Ingles is shooting 50% from the field and 48.6% from deep. In the 19 losses that he has played in, Ingles' shooting takes a massive hit down to 38.2% from the field and just 30.8% from three.

This emphasises the energy that Ingles brings to the team is infectious and his teammates thrive off him when he is on.

Energy and enthusiasm is key for the Utah Jazz. Without a go-to superstar, they need everyone buying in and playing at 100% for the entire 48 minutes.

It is now up to Ingles to bring more consistency to his game. He needs to be a reliable shooter for the Jazz as they continue to fight for a playoff spot.