The Los Angeles Lakers will be starting their Summer League in Las Vegas very soon. As a second-year player, all eyes will be on Brandon Ingram.
With the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected swingman Brandon Ingram from Duke. In college, Ingram was one of the best players in the country. His size and speed made him nearly impossible to guard, and he had a lot of success in his only season in college.
At Duke, Ingram averaged 17.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. With his high points per game average also came a good shooting percentage beyond in the arc. In college, Ingram was able to shoot 41 percent from three-point range. In his rookie season, that did not translate.
Last season, Ingram really struggled with his shooting. He shot just 29.4 percent from three-point range and 44.3 percent from two-point range. From 10-16 feet from the basket, Ingram shot just 33 percent from the field, as he didn’t shoot the ball effectively from away from the basket.
This offseason, Ingram has changed his shot a bit, and the results will hopefully bring a better field goal percent. With Summer League starting, all eyes will be on Ingram to lead this young group of Lakers.
"“You’re going to see a big change in Brandon because he’s changed his jump shot a little bit. He’s kind of finely tuned his jump shot, made a few minor adjustments that I think are really going to help him,” Buechler told Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com via Harrison Faigen of SilverScreenandRoll.com. “Plus I just think confidence from a year of being in the NBA and playing as many minutes as he did, he’ll just be a completely different player this year in summer league compared to last year.”“The rotation of his shot. Brian Keefe, our assistant coach, really did a great job with him and just kind of tweaked a few little things that Brandon bought into,” Buechler said. “We’ve seen incredible results,” Buechler said. “When he’s been shooting in the gym, his shot looks considerably better, and we’re hoping that can carry over to the games.”"
Considering Ingram was a top five pick, the Lakers would have likely wanted to see him perform a bit better. However, at just 19-years-old, the Lakers knew Ingram was going to need some seasoning.
Since he struggled with his jumper, that certainly rattled his confidence in his rookie season. This offseason, Ingram has been working hard to improve, and the Lakers still believe he can be an elite talent in the NBA.
Next: Summer League Focus Points
As the Lakers attempt to win a Summer League title, Ingram will be expected to be their best player. The organization gave him a big vote of confidence when the labeled him ‘untouchable’ this offseason. Now, it’s time for Ingram to show how much he has improved this offseason.