Heading into the 2017-18 NBA season, there are high expectations for Brandon Ingram after a strong finish to his rookie year. With numerous trade rumors surrounding him, Los Angeles Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson declared Ingram ‘untouchable' during the offseason.

In two appearances in the preseason, Ingram is averaging 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds. As he is looking to improve his efficiency (29.2 percent from the field), the biggest concern is the team's defense. According to Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints, the second-year forward believes it begins individually:

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As the Lakers are looking to play with pace this upcoming season, they need to show consistent effort on the defensive end. With Ingram believing it comes down to individual defense first, head coach Luke Walton stressed repetition with the youngest team in the league.

As the Lakers prepare for the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas, it will be interesting to see how they respond to this early preseason adversity. Since the arrival of Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka, the new front office has been focused on establishing a winning culture. While the Lakers are still rebuilding, they need to show progress and competitiveness heading into the new season.