Brandon Ingram will come into his third year in the league with a bona fide superstar teammate in the same lineup, and while his progress is slowly coming along after being drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2016, those in the coaching staff are excited to see what else could come in his bright future.
Assistant coach Jesse Mermuys explained how today's NBA is the perfect place for Ingram's dynamic game to exponentially grow over the years, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
“We talked about positionless basketball and the dynamics of that and for another team to have to defend against that. It’s just really valuable when you have a 6’9’, 6’10’’ dude that can shoot turnarounds, handle in pick and rolls, make pocket passes, Euro step from the free throw line for a layup. That’s just hard to guard,” said Mermuys. “And the older he gets, the stronger he’s going to get, the longer those strides are going to get, the more contact he’s going to be able to take. So when you’re working with that frame, what he was able to do in February, his ability to do a bunch of different things is exciting, especially for a fit alongside a guy like LeBron.”
Ingram showed the ability to handle the ball in the open court and during offensive sets, often setting up his teammates for easy baskets. While that won't be needed as much with LeBron James taking over most of the playmaking duties, his ability to create should bode well for the team, as there can never be too many playmakers on one roster.
The Duke product can learn plenty from James, but will also have to work on his shooting consistency, especially now that the Lakers need outside shooters to surround their prized offseason signing.
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