In recent Los Angeles Lakers news, Brandon Ingram discussed his relationship with former NBA All-Star, Jerry Stackhouse.
With the NBA Trade Deadline only eight days away, most of the recent Los Angeles Lakers news has revolved around trade chatter. We take a little time away from the trade chatter and look at some Lakers news involving small forward Brandon Ingram.
Ingram knows he isn’t going anywhere. He is one of a handful of Lakers, along with probably Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma, that won’t be included in trade talks. Ingram can rest easy knowing he will be in Los Angeles come next Friday; some of his teammates may not be as fortunate.
Without trade rumors to worry about, Ingram recently discussed his relationship with former NBA All-Star, Jerry Stackhouse. This came up because the Lakers played the Toronto Raptors over the weekend, and Stackhouse is one of their assistant coaches.
Ingram has known Stackhouse since he was a child. Both hail from Kinston, North Carolina, so Stackhouse has been a mentor of sorts for Ingram. Despite being part of different organizations, that mentorship has not stopped with Ingram reaching the NBA.
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Ingram shared some insight into what Stackhouse has helped him with when talking to Spectrum SportsNet.
"“Mentally. Just trying to be the best I can, trying to make the best decisions for myself on and off the basketball court. Defensively, he helps me a lot. He always gets on me if I get back-cut in a game, or using a stick-hand in a game. He’s always looking at the small details of everything I do to make be a better person.”"
Getting on Ingram for the little things is what will help him truly reach the next level. Obviously, the talent is there for Ingram to be a great player. There are plenty of great players in the NBA. For Ingram to differentiate himself, doing the little things, such as the things he mentions Stackhouse for getting on him for, is imperative.
Ingram has made great strides in his second season in the NBA from his rookie season. He put in the work during the offseason, revamping his mechanics on the court and his habits off the court as well.
Ingram deserves credit for the work that he put in to improve. However, that work wasn’t accomplished without some pushing from the people around him. Stackhouse, in addition to Luke Walton and the Lakers staff, deserves some credit for helping Ingram reach the next level of his potential.
This season, Ingram is averaging 15.7 points per game. That is second on the Lakers, but he is the player they look to in crunch time and is often their go-to player. He has more confidence driving to the basket and finishing through contact, which has helped increase his efficiency, and points per game as a result.
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Ingram is one of the Lakers building blocks. If they are to get to where they want to be as an organization, his continued growth will be an important part of that. Continuing to work with Stackhouse sounds like a good place to start as the results are evident in his play this season.