This time last year, D'Angelo Russell was in the same position that Brandon Ingram‘s in today, with a few wrinkles. Kobe Bryant is gone, and Luke Walton is the Lakers‘ head coach rather than Byron Scott. But, the same pressures remain.
Russell and Ingram are the number two overall picks from each of the last two NBA drafts. Both became highly coveted prospects in high school and college, and both were drafted by the most glamorous franchise in the NBA.
As Ingram's first season in the association approaches, Russell has shared some interesting advice with the Duke product, based on his own experiences.
From Slam Online's Drew Ruiz:
I told him to embrace the pressure. What he’s going through now is what I went through as far as being the No. 2 pick, all the attention is on you and everybody wanting to see what you can do. Now I look back on what I went through last year and I was like, ‘That was the pressure I had?’ And I kind of didn’t embrace it. Embrace it, like, go get it and go attack it. That’s what I tell him—to go have way more success in your first year than I had.
Russell put up solid averages of 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game in his rookie year, but he struggled to stay consistent and he clashed with Scott, finding himself on the bench in the fourth quarter often as a result. Hopefully (and likely), Ingram won't have that same problem with Walton.
Embracing the pressure might not be the best strategy for Ingram's low-key demeanor. Instead, he seems like a guy who excels because the moment isn't too big for him, along with his obvious talents. Either way, it will be interesting to see how his rookie season ultimately compares to Russell's by season's end.
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