NBA Draft 2016: Pro Comparisons For the Top Draft Prospects
By Eric Yee
Brandon Ingram – Anthony Davis
The go to pro comparison for Brandon Ingram has undoubtedly been Kevin Durant –long, lanky arms, quiet “hard work beats talent when talent won’t work hard” demeanor, silky smooth jump shot — but upon seeing Ingram play for the first time my mind immediately drifted to New Orleans Pelicans’ star, Anthony Davis.
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While I’m not knocking the first comparison — opposite of my feelings in regards to the LeBron-Ben Simmons rumors — I think Ingram’s defensive capabilities make me think AD more than KD.
Similar to Davis, Ingram has the potential to be an elite defender in this league, a road that Durant, for whatever reason, never chose to go down. More over, despite Ingram’s excellent shooting percentage from beyond the arc in college, his shot will still require tuning to translate to the NBA level a la Davis.
Additionally, I could also see Brandon Ingram turning into the next student out of the Kawhi Leonard School of Basketball, as a hard nosed, no nonsense player who works his tail off on both ends of the floor and lets his game do all the talking. These comparisons not only take into account Ingram’s physical attributes and skill set but also his demeanor, something which most comparisons seem to completely ignore.
In a recent interview with Time Warner Cable, Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times said that the differences between Ingram and Simmons are staggering: one is ready for the bright lights of Hollywood while the other is just a small town kid. This is no knock on Simmons, but the revelation sticks to the Durant, Davis, Leonard mild mannered story line for Ingram.
Next: LSU's Ben Simmons