Breaking down possible Lakers pick and 2016 NBA Draft prospect Brandon Ingram
The Los Angeles Lakers have needs littered throughout the roster. Even with lottery picks in the last two drafts (D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle) and a couple of high-value picks in Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., the Lakers are still a team with plenty of holes. Subsequently, that’s why the 2016 NBA Draft is so crucial to the franchise in the wake of Kobe Bryant‘s impending retirement.
While it’s no certainty that the Lakers will keep their pick as it goes to the Philadelphia 76ers if it falls out of the top-three in the lottery, the front office and fans alike are counting on the selection to help further the ongoing rebuilding process in Los Angeles as a top-three pick would give the team the chance to add an exceptional young talent in what looks to be a relatively deep draft class in terms of top-tier prospects.
One such prospect is in action on Wednesday night for the Duke Blue Devils as freshman forward Brandon Ingram will take the stage in ACC play. While the Lakers might be holding out for the No. 1 overall pick in Ben Simmons, Ingram is projected as a possible top-three pick who would be one hell of a consolation prize if the Lakers were to get picks No. 2 or 3.
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Through his first 14 games at the college level, Ingram is averaging 16.4 points, six rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.5 steals in 30.1 minutes per game. Moreover, he’s shown nice efficiency with 48.3 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent from three. Even as just an 18-year-old freshman playing on one of college basketball’s biggest stages, Ingram has shown that he has the tools and the skills to produce at a high level against quality college-level competition—which is the best we have to offer in terms of scouting right now.
While better evaluations will be made as Ingram wears on through ACC play and more top-level competition, it’s pretty clear where the forward stands as a prospect as of right now. In terms of his physical tools, his offense, his defense, his mentality, and how he’d fit with the Lakers, here’s a full breakdown of Duke freshman Brandon Ingram.
Next: Physical Tools
Physical Tools
The first thing that jumps out about Ingram in terms of his physical tools is his impressive size and length at the small forward position. At 6-9 with a wingspan in the range of 7-3/7-4, he offers a matchup nightmare no matter what type of opponent he’s up against simply because he can use his length against bigger guys to compete and his size to just go over small defenders.
Moreover, Ingram has impressive athleticism to go along with that size and length, making the radius of play that he can affect on both ends of the floor even larger. If you need any evidence of just how good of an athlete the Duke freshman is, here’s Ingram jumping above the top of the backboard during a workout in the preseason:
That’s pretty sufficient in showing just what he’s capable of as an athlete.
There are some drawbacks in terms of Ingram’s physical traits, though. He has a slight frame at 6-9, weighing in at only 190 pounds. If he’s going to be able to have success at the NBA level, that frame is going to have to fill out and he’s going to have to add bulk or else he will unquestionable get bullied and pushed around on both offense in defense. Still, that’s an easy fix and most of his physical tools ring incredibly positive in terms of his draft prospects.
Next: Offense
Offense
There is a great deal to love about Ingram as an offensive threat already on the basketball court. For one, he has a tremendous jump shot that displays near impeccable form. Not only is it good form, but it’s a smooth, quick release that he’s unafraid to get off from anywhere on the court. He can catch-and-shoot, pull up after mild penetration, and pull up off the dribble with ease and make it look pretty in the process:
Even more in his favor as an offensive talent is just how dangerous his length makes him as an offensive player. Even at the NBA level, there are few wings who can matchup with a player like Ingram that is 6-9 and has a wingspan far greater than that. That allows Ingram, who displays solid ball-handling skills that should also translate to the next level, to get his shot off both on the perimeter and off the bounce by simply rising up over the top of the arms of defenders:
The fact that Ingram is at least a serviceable passer and willing one at that is also encouraging. He’s not a player that we’ve seen force his shot too often and is more than willing to kick the ball out to open shooters when he can’t get a good look off of dribble penetration.
It’s not all roses on offense with Ingram (though it’s mostly that). Again the issue of his frame comes to mind as he could get pushed around offensively by bigger, stouter defenders at the NBA level. While his length with compensate for that to a certain degree, adding that bulk to his frame would make him an even more complete weapon and possibly give him an even more advanced ability to get to the rim and finish through contact.
Next: Defense
Defense
Ingram’s physical traits again come into play when talking about his prospects on the defensive end of the floor. The Duke forward has the length to defend forwards closer to the block, but his quickness, athleticism, and activity also allow him to make plays on the perimeter when he’s defending out on the wings.
Moreover, Ingram’s athleticism also allows him to be a playmaker in correlation with his length. His physical tools and effort as a defender allow him to recover quickly in help defense and recover quickly off of hedges, which can result in offenses being forced to reset or even in blocked shots leading to transition offense:
Going beyond just that, Ingram is one of the rare cases that you see in young players that is eager to defend. Even just coming out of high school, the forward out of Kinston, NC said to many scouts that he loved to defend and get his hands on the ball on the defensive end and use his length to his advantage on that end of the floor. That’s a special trait that can’t be discounted.
Nothing like beating a dead horse, but Ingram’s lack of bulk is again a drawback to his defensive capabilities. Stronger forwards at the NBA level would have virtually no problem backing down the 190-pound onto the block and essentially having their way. While Ingram’s length would help compensate for that to a certain degree, it’s still something that again needs improvement as the Blue Devils freshman makes the jump to the next level.
Next: Mental Profile
Mental Make-Up
Starting with the positives once again, Ingram rarely shows hesitation to try and make plays on either end of the floor. As a scorer, he has not issue pulling the trigger on his jumper if he thinks that he has a good look at a shot. Even better for the offense, though, he also has no issue trying to make plays off the dribble either by getting a shot off going towards the rim or by making a pass to simply get his team a good look at at bucket.
The same can be said for him on the defensive end, as noted in his defensive breakdown, where he has great awareness on the defensive end and likes to be the playmaker for his team on that end of the floor.
However, there are certainly issues that some scouts see with Ingram as a pro prospect. As all of his interviews will show, the young small forward is incredibly laid back and seems almost lethargic in demeanor. While that doesn’t translate to the court 100 percent of the time, that type of behavior is concerning to some.
Moreover, there have been occasional instances where that near-lazy type of mentality has bled onto the hardwood. There are some defensive possessions (and rare offensive possessions) where Ingram seems content with just getting by and getting through rather than giving maximum effort. While that’s not even remotely a consistent pro
Next: Fit In Los Angeles
Lakers Fit
Maybe even more so than Ben Simmons, I absolutely love the fit of Brandon Ingram on the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only does he have incredible potential in his own right on both ends of the floor, but he can immediately offer things that will greatly benefit the Lakers from the moment he would put on the purple and gold.
Though Kobe isn’t even a particularly efficient outside shooter, the lack of shooters in Los Angeles looking ahead to next year is glaring. Ingram would undoubtedly serve at remedying that problem with his sweet outside shooting stroke. More than that on the offensive end of the floor, he’s a willing passer that could help to improve the ball-movement in the Lakers offense and has the versatility in his overall offensive game to really add a new dimension to the Los Angeles offense.
He’s still not a complete defensive player and he still needs to add bulk, but the positional versatility as well as lethality that Ingram could potentially offer on that end of the floor would also be huge for the Lakers to work and grow with. It’s no secret that the Lakers are a disaster defensively as of right now, but adding Ingram and allowing him to grow in Los Angeles would go a long way in helping remedy that.
Next: Lakers Front Office Deserves Same Blame As Byron
As all fans know, there’s a chance that the Lakers lose their pick, but there’s an even greater chance that they don’t end up with the No. 1 overall pick. If that’s the case, though, it might not even be the worst thing for the Lakers organization. That could very well mean that they would be able to grab Ingram and the Duke freshman could very well be the best prospect for the Lakers’ future.