5. One-on-one scoring ability
Many have criticized Ingram’s style of play and tendency to look to score via iso plays while taking time off the shot clock.
While it’s true that his style slows down the pace and just isn’t aesthetically pleasing, it’s pretty effective.
As much as the pace of the NBA game has sped up in a few short years, most possessions are still halfcourt possessions, and teams still need a player with Ingram’s skillset to produce points against a tough defense deep into the shot clock, especially during the playoffs.
He seems particularly adept at backing down his man and hitting mid-range shots with a hand in his face. Say what you want about how inefficient mid-range shots are, you still need to hit some.
On this Lakers team, only LeBron James is adept at scoring one-on-one. Kuzma can do it to a certain extent very well, but he’s more of a finisher than a shot creator for himself, which is what Ingram primarily is.