2. Brandon Ingram
The Los Angeles Lakers made a franchise-altering trade this offseason when they acquired Anthony Davis. However, the price to acquire such a talent was steep. Los Angeles had to give up a large portion of their young core, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, in addition to numerous first-round draft picks.
This will be the first time that those players face their old team, so you know they will be ready to go. We picked Brandon Ingram to highlight here as he is the only one of the three in the lineup currently. Ball is dealing with a stomach virus and was sent home Tuesday from practice. Hart has missed the last seven games because of a knee injury.
The Lakers know first hand that Ingram is talented, but he has really tapped into that potential this season in an expanded role with the Pelicans. He is averaging a team-high 26.1 points per game, which is 8th in the NBA. He has scored at least 21 points in all but one game he has played in this season. The game he didn’t reach that plateau, he scored only seven points in 13 minutes played.
The former Duke Blue Devil is chipping in 7.2 rebounds, also a team-high, and 4.2 assists. His 23.51 PER is 14th in the league, as Ingram is coming into his own in The Big Easy.
Watching Ingram matched up against LeBron James will be a treat for everyone tuning in. Both players are performing at the peak of their skill and putting on a show night in and night out. Their matchup is easily the most anticipated one of this game.