Brandon Ingram:
16.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, .291 3P%, .481 eFG%, 11.8 PER, 21 years old
Brandon Ingram’s in his 3rd NBA season and things haven’t gone the way many people thought they would for him this year. With that said, Ingram’s the best perimeter defender on the Lakers, and that’s nothing to scoff at considering the Purple and Gold rank 7th in the NBA in Defensive Efficiency.
I love to compare Ingram to Scottie Pippen. Pippen made his first All-Star appearance when he was 24. That year he averaged 16.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 2.6 SPG, .501 eFG%, to go along with great defense.
When I watch Ingram play it seems like he puts a tremendous amount of pressure on himself to score, not because he wants the Lakers to win, but because he wants to be an All-Star. The funny thing is, if Brandon wants to make the All-Star team when he’s 24, just like Pippen, he doesn’t have to score 25 points per game. He has to rebound better, distribute better, and play even better defense.
Somebody has to make Ingram understand that he doesn’t have to be a great offensive player like Kuzma to become an All-Star. I know the average amount of points last year’s forwards scored was 22, but if the Lakers are a contender, and Ingram is a great all-around player, he can certainly become an All-Star while averaging 19 or 20 points per game. So, he needs to stop trying to be something he’s not and just play in the flow of the game.
Call me HOMER Simpson, but I think Ingram’s going to figure things out, not this year, and maybe not even next year, but by the time he’s 24, I believe Ingram will be a terror on the court just like Pippen was 20 years ago.