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Lakers: Best and Worst Case Scenario For Brandon Ingram Next Season

By Jeremy Rucker

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Brandon Ingram (Duke) walks off stage after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Brandon Ingram (Duke) walks off stage after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Best Case Scenario

As a high-profile rookie, Ingram’s best case scenario would obviously be to win Rookie of the Year honors. But, considering that his production will likely be limited by the bevy of other young prospects on the roster, a long-term comparison could be a bit more useful.

For Ingram, the obvious comparison for any optimist with a working set of eyes is Kevin Durant.

Physically, the two are almost identical in their builds. On draft day, Durant stood at 6’10” with a wingspan of 7″4.75″ and a standing reach of 9’2”. Ingram clocks in at 6’9”, with a wingspan of 7’3” and a standing reach of 9 feet, 1.5 inches, and apparently he’s still growing.

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While talks of the 195-pound Ingram becoming an MVP and three time scoring champ like Durant may be a bit premature, Ingram is only 19 and only needs to show flashes of brilliance to really make a splash his rookie season.

In fact, Durant’s rookie season doesn’t seem like an implausible benchmark for the Lakers’ newest young star. The Slim Reaper averaged 20.3 points per game that year, but shot just 43 percent from the field and a woeful 28.8 percent from behind the arc. Sure, he was essentially the only scoring option on a godawful Seattle Supersonics team, but, ahem, it’s not like last year’s Lakers were much better.

With Kobe Bryant out of the picture and the offensive-minded Luke Walton at the helm, Ingram could feasibly become a significant scoring option for Los Angeles. While D’Angelo Russell appears to be the clear offensive leader, his passing is widely considered to be his best natural ability. If the lanky rookie can take advantage of his catch and shoot chances as well as his opportunities off the dribble, he could quite possibly emerge as one of the team’s primary scoring options.

Ingram has shown the ability to be a dynamic playmaker on both ends of the floor and has all the tools to make a big impact his rookie season.

Next: Worst Case Scenario

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