The NBA spotlight shifted once again to the Los Angeles Lakers when LeBron James announced that he would donning the purple and gold this season. In the aftermath of James’ signing, most of the talk has been on how the best player in the world would mesh with the Lakers’ young core, especially with its prized rookies from last season Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and even 30th overall pick Josh Hart.
The team also signed several free agents such as Rajon Rondo, Javale McGee, and Lance Stephenson, among others, to boost its bench and add some veteran presence on the team.
Somewhat lost in the spotlight is the team’s 2nd overall pick back in 2016, Brandon Ingram. Because of his low-key profile and silent personality, Ingram has found himself in the shadows of fellow youngsters Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma, both of whom have a pretty strong social media game.
A lot of Lakers fans are really high on Kuzma and Ball after they showed flashes in their rookie season, especially Kuzma, who was a pleasant surprise at the 27th pick. With all the hype surrounding the two rookies, Ingram has been somewhat lost in the fuss this past off-season. But I believe Brandon Ingram is still the most talented player, and has the highest ceiling, among the Lakers’ young core.
His lanky stature may throw some people off, but he has shown that his length can do him wonders. Ingram already showed flashes in the latter part of his rookie season, averaging 13.2 points, while shooting nearly 48% on his shots after the All-Star break.
He carried that momentum over to his sophomore year as he improved on pretty much every facet of his game in a role that saw him as the go-to-guy for the young Lakers. In 59 games, he averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, while shooting 47% from the field and knocking down 39% of his treys.
In his sophomore campaign, Brandon Ingram showcased his versatility on the offensive end, breaking down defenses in a variety of ways. He showed that he can take defenders off the dribble and finish around the basket. He also featured a pretty consistent turnaround jumper down on the block. He’s also a pretty decent passer and can make plays for his teammates.
What I like most about his offensive game is his decision-making. From what I’ve watched, he does not force the situation, and is picky with his spots. He seems to know when to be aggressive, and when to involve his teammates.
On the defensive end, Ingram was one of the Lakers’ go-to defenders, even as a rookie, as his 7-foot 3-inch wingspan proved to be an advantage. He has shown that he has the instincts and the footwork to be a good defender in this league.
Still, he still has a lot to improve on. There is an obvious need for him to bulk up, as he could get dominated when defending much bigger players. Also, his free throw shooting is one the glaring flaws of his game, shooting just around 66% throughout his first two years in the league.
And although he shot a pretty decent clip from the field this past season, he still needs to improve on his jumper, especially on his three point shot. Though he did make 39% of his threes last year, he only averaged 1.8 three-point shot attempts per game.
That number will likely go up, with LeBron James joining the squad. As he slides down the hierarchy in terms of ball-handling duties, he needs to get accustomed to playing off the ball, curling through screens, catching and shooting, and spotting up.
With all of this necessary adjustment on offense, he could be most impactful on the other side of the ball. LeBron did not have a wing defender alongside him last season in Cleveland, and his superhuman offensive workload really took a toll on his defense. Ingram’s value can skyrocket if he shows his defensive effort and grit alongside LeBron.
Brandon Ingram has the potential to be a two-way star in this league. But he has a long way to go in seeing this come to fruition. It is ultimately up to him if he puts in the extra work to get better. And he has. We’ve seen footage of him working on his game and his body this summer. That’s always a good sign, especially from someone as young as he is.
As you can see, I’m really high on this kid. There’s a reason why Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson deemed him untouchable in trade talks last season, and never really pulled the trigger on trading him for a superstar this off-season to pair with LeBron. Now, we’re on a wait-and-see approach on how he meshes with James.
It is no secret that playing alongside the best player in the world is a lot of pressure. Many have thrived, yet many have crumbled as well.
If he takes this opportunity and runs away with it, watch out. All this experience of playing under LeBron’s wing will bring Ingram to the next level, and potentially unleash a superstar. But there is also the possibility that he’ll lose his way in all of this, similar to what we saw with Andrew Wiggins this past season when Jimmy Butler came aboard in Minnesota.
I think he’s the reason why the Timberwolves haven’t really gotten to that next step that we’ve expected from them. Ingram is that to the Lakers. As far as their championship aspirations are concerned in this four-year LeBron window, the Lakers will go as far as Brandon Ingram takes them.
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