How Joe Ingles has become a key piece on the improved Magic roster this season

The Orlando Magic haven't enjoyed a 50-win season since 2011, but Joe Ingles' arrival coincided with a turn in their fortunes, leading to a 13-5 record thus far.

Joe Ingles hasn’t missed the NBA playoffs since 2017, aside from an injury-plagued 2021-22 season where he missed out on the Utah Jazz’s postseason campaign. That’s seven consecutive years of teams who have benefitted from Ingles’ influence, as a versatile swingman that can handle the ball, create for others and spot up on the perimeter. But the veteran faced his biggest challenge yet at age 36, joining an Orlando Magic team that’s been starved of playoff action since 2020.

Ingles suffered a devastating ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury of the knee in January 2022, causing him to miss nearly a year of basketball. Most players wouldn’t be able to come back from such an injury in the back half of their thirties, but Ingles’ game has aged very well. He is no longer the starting caliber player that averaged close to 30 minutes in Utah, but found a way to adapt and survive in the NBA. When Ingles signed a two-year deal with Orlando in July 2023, he extended a nearly decade-long career in the world’s premier basketball competition, but also had faced a team option in his second year. Ingles is under pressure to perform in the 2023-24 season, such that he retains his spot through to the 2025 offseason.