Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram played an integral role in the team's win over the Houston Rockets. It appears even forward LeBron James was impressed with his initiative, as Ingram was more aggressive than usual in the Lakers' 111-106 victory. James even dispelled any notion of him being just a wingman, via Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints:

“He wasn't a wingman for me. He was special for our team. BI is very special & when he's rebounding like that it just activates the rest of his game..”

“He did a great job of rebounding. He did a great job of getting his free throws & being in attack mode all game.”

There is certainly plenty of truth to James' comments. Ingram finished with 27 points on an efficient 8-of-16 shooting from the field. He was also a monster on the boards, managing to haul in a game-high 13 rebounds for Los Angeles.

There has been plenty of concern regarding Ingram's development now that he is playing alongside a ball-dominant player like James. A young player with his skill set also needs his fair share of opportunities to be aggressive on offense. Ingram has struggled to find a balance throughout the season. Fortunately, his performance against Houston is certainly a promising sign for Los Angeles moving forward.

It is no secret that the Lakers are in danger of potentially missing the postseason thanks to their struggles prior to the All-Star break. James himself has already admitted to activating “playoff mode” moving forward. There is no question that Los Angeles will need Ingram to stay as aggressive as possible in all phases of the game if they are to end the regular season on a high note.