Los Angeles Lakers: 10 best moments of 2010’s

7. Drafting Brandon Ingram in 2016

When the Lakers drafted Brandon Ingram in 2016, many people expected Ingram to be the leading candidate for rookie of the year, with Ben Simmons sitting out his first season. In his lone season at Duke Ingram flashed the potential to be a poor man’s Kevin Durant with his incredible length and ability to score anywhere on the court.

This was another time where Lakers fans probably felt lucky for the right to even draft Ingram because their pick had to be in the top three in the lottery for them to keep it. Thankfully for them, the lottery ping pong balls bounced their way for the second straight season, and they got to keep the pick and draft their next star wing.

Drafting him would have ended up higher on the list if he came closer to living up to those lofty expectations set for him in his rookie year. Instead, he looked like a deer in the headlights at times and it was obvious he needed to add some muscle to be able to compete on the NBA level.

But, even though he did not light the league on fire, this draft pick still helped set up the Lakers for their immediate future. Ingram turned out to be the centerpiece for the trade for Anthony Davis, and this season he has started to show his true potential for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Lakers fans probably shed a tear for every 3-pointer Ingram made on Christmas Day this season because he set the Christmas day record with seven made threes. After watching the Lakers drop a heart breaker to their in-town rival Clippers, they had to watch Ingram dominate the Nuggets in one of the best games of his career.

At the end of his career, the Lakers faithful will probably be jealous of the player they could have had. But it was fun to see Ingram go from a timid rookie to a player that looked in control with the ball in his hands attacking on offense for the Lakers.