With the All-Star coming to an end for the Los Angeles Lakers, Brandon Ingram was able to rest and reflect on the first half of the season.
For all teams in the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers, the All-Star break was certainly needed for the players to rest and recharge. With a nice long break for most, we are ready for the second part of the season, and the push toward the playoffs.
The Lakers will likely not be a playoff team this year, but there is still a lot for them to play for in the second half of the season. With a young core, the team should be continuing to improve as they prepare for a big offseason.
One of the players that everyone will have their eye on is Brandon Ingram. In the first half of the season, Ingram certainly showed a lot of improvement from his rookie season. After averaging under 10 points per game last season, Ingram has seen that number rise in his sophomore season. Also, he has been more efficient as a scorer.
The strong second season for Ingram resulted in him being chosen for the U.S. team in the Rising Stars Challenge. Since Ingram played on Thursday night and had to travel and then play in the game, he clearly was a bit tired and didn’t have a great game.
However, with the break, Ingram was able to reflect on what has been a strong first half of the season. Recently, he talked with Trevor Lane of LakersNation.com about the first half and what to expect in the second half of the season.
"“I definitely think it’s a good time for a break,” he said at the Rising Stars Challenge.”“With everything that I’ve done over these last couple of months and last couple weeks, it’s a good time to reflect on the first half of the season and come back and try to be even better in the second half and make a bigger push for what we’re doing for our organization.”"
Coming into the season, Ingram had some lofty goals. While he isn’t averaging the 20 points per game that Magic Johnson challenged him to get, he has certainly been very good for the Lakers this season.
Next: Ranking the 30 greatest scorers in Lakers history
So far, Ingram is averaging 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. For a second-year player, these are certainly good numbers and they are a big improvement from his rookie season. As the Lakers prepare for the second half, Ingram will hopefully continue to show improvement and consistency.