The Los Angeles Lakers selected Brandon Ingram as their second overall draft pick this offseason to add a boost to their already young core.
With that young core already in place and expectations high for the lottery pick, the Lakers can bring Ingram along more slowly than might be expected to he can more easily meet those expectations.
The team also brought in Luol Deng who is a seasoned veteran that can help provide leadership to the team, and coach Luke Walton has already hinted that he may start over Ingram.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News asked Ingram about potentially playing behind Deng:
“If it was given, it wouldn’t drive me as much to be the best player I can be,” Ingram said of being a starter. “So I’m just coming off the bench and showing I can be one of the best players or one of the best players on the floor. It gives me motivation to work hard each and every day.”
Ingram said all of the right things, and probably meant it too. Deng may not be a part of the Lakers long-term future like Ingram is, but he can teach Ingram plenty in the short-term.
Before you know it Brandon Ingram will be a starter by doing exactly what he said he would: Working hard until he's of the team's best players.
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