Los Angeles Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram started his first NBA season slowly, but his late-season surge proved to pay off by being selected to on the All-Rookie Second Team.
The acclimation process to the Los Angeles Lakers was quite the hurdle for the 6’9″ Duke product, Brandon Ingram. Transitioning from college to the NBA is by no means an easy task, especially for a 19-year-old kid.
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Ingram’s early struggles were due to his lack of aggressiveness, which would ultimately exclude him from each play before it was even run.
However, with Luke Walton’s flexible system and will to patiently develop his players, Ingram would eventually thrive in the second half of the season despite his initial woes.
Most notably against the San Antonio Spurs, Ingram scored a career-high 22 points on 66.7 percent shooting from the field.
His in-game progression was obvious and the flashes of what he’s capable of is surely mesmerizing. This past May, Lakers President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson, stated:
"“I think that we’re excited about Brandon, his length, his size, his agility, his athleticism. And then when you think about, you know, he was a baby coming in, in his first year last season and we see that he really has a high ceiling and we’re excited about what he can possibly turn into.”"
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Nonetheless, room for improvement is always necessary, and the only route towards success amongst the league is to refine your game day in and day out.
He must work on his three-point shooting during the offseason as well as his defensive footwork.
The tools he possesses are absolutely remarkable and once all is pieced together, the NBA will undoubtedly be put on notice.
Ingram’s potential currently has no ceiling and with his unique frame and combination of speed and athleticism, there is no telling what he has in store for us next season and the many that follow.
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The Lakers showed how committed they were to Ingram when they said he was the only untouchable player on the team. The sky is the limit for Ingram, as the Lakers hope he will be a building block for the franchise.