Joe Ingles may finally be in line for an uptick in minutes with Minnesota superstar Anthony Edwards' most recent injury.
Since joining Minnesota from the Orlando Magic at the end of the 2023–24 season, Ingles has never truly been a part of the Wolves' rotation, only playing over 15 minutes once.
But Ingles’ wealth of experience and playmaking ability may become something coach Chris Finch has to start depending on, as he struggles to trust his other guards.
Finch has shown a lack of trust in running his offence through his 2024 eighth pick, Rob Dillingham, with the young point guard mostly only appearing in blowout games, even despite injuries to Edwards or other guards last season.
MORE:How long is Anthony Edwards out? Hamstring injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Timberwolves star
Veteran point guard Mike Conley was moved to the bench for the start of this season, and the 38-year-old’s first three games to start this year have been far from pretty.
While it is expected Donte DiVincenzo will eat up a large amount of Edwards' minutes, and Bones Hyland will get his share, Finch may now look to depend on Ingles to run the offence for Minnesota to give Conley a rest - especially on back-to-backs.
Ingles has become a Minnesota fan favourite in his past two seasons in Minneapolis.
Finch has trusted the Australian on several occasions to inbound the ball in high-pressure situations, highlighted by his zero-minute, one-assist box score that won the Wolves the game against the Phoenix Suns last season.
Julius Randle wins it for Minnesota with a stepback three!!! pic.twitter.com/3w79aMdDSK
— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) November 17, 2024
Minnesota will look to keep their head above water without their superstar, with Edwards suffering a right hamstring strain early in the first quarter of last Sunday’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers.
He is expected to miss the next two weeks, as per ESPN’s Shams Charania.