With the potential he showed in his first year in the league, Brandon Ingram has given the Los Angeles Lakers reason to believe that he can be a huge part of their future plans and help speed up their rebuilding process.
It has been reported that their front office, led by president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka, had a meeting with the 19-year-old Duke product and mapped out a developmental plan for him. One of the ideas that was discussed was to make arrangements for him to work out with Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, in the hopes of further improving his game.
Brandon Ingram said that working out with Kobe Bryant is actually something that came up in the exit meeting w/ Magic & Rob, and he plans to
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 13, 2017
Walton said a reason they want Ingram to work w/Kobe is because he’s simply a much better player than Luke was. Ingram need a higher level.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 13, 2017
Luke basically said there are things that he and his staff can't coach Ingram that Kobe, on the court, would be able to (elite skills, etc)
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) April 13, 2017
Should Ingram have the opportunity to learn from one of the best players ever, it could do wonders for him and help elevate his game to greater heights. In his rookie year, he averaged decent numbers of 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists, however, he struggled with consistency throughout the season. Prior to the All-Star break, Ingram averaged eight points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.4 steals on 36.3% shooting. After the break, Ingram increased his averages to 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 47.5% shooting from the field.
With Bryant possibly working out with him this summer, Ingram will be able to receive valuable advice on how to become more physically and mentally prepared entering his second year. Just like him, the former MVP and five-time champion also started his professional career in his teens with high expectations.
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