Lakers Summer League: 5 Takeaways Thus Far

4. Brandon Ingram Is A Raw, But Extremely Promising Player

Like Russell, who had a Summer League to forget in 2015, rookie Brandon Ingram has struggled for the most part during his time in Las Vegas. After a marvelous opening act against the New Orlean Pelicans that saw Ingram score with ease, Ingram has struggled to find the hoop on a consistent basis since.

This can be attributed to a lot of factors. For one, Ingram’s teammate, Russell, has had some great games and consequently may be hindering Ingram’s ability to shine due to the former’s success shooting the ball at a high volume.

But, at the end of the day, Ingram is a teenager and he is as raw as his age would suggest. It will take some time for the youngster to adapt to the professional level after not playing in a competitive environment since the end of his tenure at Duke.

To his credit, however, Ingram has managed to impact the game in other ways, from rebounding the ball to blocking shots like these:

Similarly, Ingram went to the free throw line nine times by virtue of his freakish length and athletic ability, in spite of shooting 0-5 from the field

Ingram’s troubles will soon be forgotten, much like Russell’s last summer. In the long run, this Summer League will have absolutely no bearing on the Duke product’s future. If anything, it simply speaks to his youth while still showing glimpses of his immense potential.

Next: No. 3 Zubac for 2021 NBA MVP