Los Angeles Lakers second-year forward Brandon Ingram has hit the gym looking to gain strength for the upcoming season.
When the Los Angeles Lakers selected Brandon Ingram with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, they knew it would take some time for him to reach his potential. They did not panic when he struggled out of the gate and saw flashes of that potential in the second half of the season.
The Lakers are hoping that Ingram takes that next step in his progression in his second season. If the second half of his rookie season is any indication, there are a lot of good things on the horizon for the former Duke product.
Ingram has been working hard this offseason. There have been plenty of different stories about the work he is putting in at the gym. Earlier in the offseason, Ingram was praised for the improvements he was making to his jump shot. He has put in the work to expand his offensive game, something he showcased at Duke as well.
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Off the court, Ingram has been putting in work as well. Ingram revamped his whole diet this offseason in hopes of improving his body’s performance. Ingram is eating healthier, cutting out junk food and sweets.
Ingram still needs to add some weight, as he was listed at 180 pounds last season. However, there are healthy ways to go about that, and Ingram is doing his best to add weight by hitting the gym.
Ingram has been doing workouts with the Lakers training staff and on his own with the aim of gaining more strength and explosion. While talking to Mike Trudell of NBA.com, Ingram shared some of the work he has done to increase strength.
"I’ve also been doing a lot of workouts even when I’m away from (Lakers strength and conditioning coach) Gunnar Peterson, with my own guy. I want to keep building muscle in certain areas. When I’m here, I’m doing more strength things related to the court. Working on my first step, getting (more explosive) … things that translate to the court. For me, it’s just getting the work in."
One of the areas that the added strength will help Ingram is shooting. If Ingram is stronger, he will have more confidence to shoot from three-point range, which is significantly deeper than the high school or college three-point lines.
As a result, his form has also improved, which he explained to Trudell as well.
"I was shooting over my head. With my long arms, it was like a slingshot. Coming from college to the NBA, I was only about 180 pounds, so I was trying to push the ball to the rim from the 3-point line. I think I’ve gotten strong enough now where I feel comfortable shooting the ball from the 3-point line now. As I keep getting stronger, it’s going to be natural."
All of this has the makings of a big sophomore jump from Ingram. The pieces are in place for him to succeed, as the roster around him is improved. He should find plenty of opportunities to score with Lonzo Ball leading the way as the point guard.
Ingram will be relied upon more in his second season to score. Last season the Lakers had Nick Young, Lou Williams and D’Angelo Russell to score. This season, Brook Lopez will be a go-to option and Ingram could very well be No. 2 in the pecking order.
It is something that he has prepped for all offseason. He showcased some of those improvements in a brief stint in the Las Vegas Summer League.
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The Lakers are hoping that he can play that well once the regular season rolls around, helping the team improve from the last few seasons.