Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Takeaways from win over Phoenix Suns

Brandon Ingram set the tone for the game like a star

Brandon Ingram came out like gangbusters in the first quarter scoring 11 points on 5-6 shooting. For the first half, he scored 17 points on 8-9 shooting on his way to 22 points. For the game Ingram shot 9-11 from the field for a blistering 81 percent from the field in a variety of ways.

He even knocked down his only three-pointer of the game further showing that the Lakers don’t need him jacking up five or six 23-foot bricks just because analytics is all the rage of the NBA.

Rajon Rondo coming back to the lineup will really help Ingram going forward. Rondo will gladly set the table and pace for the team which will free up Ingram to go back to his natural position playing the wing position. He can play point for a few minutes, but he can’t play the point for long periods of time.

Along with the 22 points, the floor game was impeccable as well as he filled the box scores with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. We could talk about the free throw shooting, but let’s be positive here.

Luke Walton’s strategy to attack the rim early was executed with Ingram’s driving ability with the consistent finishes at the rim. Behind this strategy it exposed the Phoenix Suns’ weak interior defense and the Lakers exploited it all night long. It got so bad, the Suns brought in Emmanuel Terry out of the layup line at his G-League game to play Dragan Bender’s minutes in the second half.

What is not going to show in the box score is the defense that helped frustrate Devin Booker throughout the game. Ingram defense is really overlooked at times and needs more appreciation.

Why?

Because Brandon Ingram is in trade rumors.