Brandon Ingram brings plenty of promise to the NBA, so much so that at one point there was debate whether he or Ben Simmons should be taken with the first overall pick.

Ultimately, the second overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakers has a unique set of tools that, combined with his height and athletic gifts, could help the franchise for years to come.

Where Brandon Ingram is best suited to play

ESPN's Fran Fraschilla told Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com that Ingram's move to the power forward position could be beneficial for his career:

“I could see down the road, you know four, five, six years from now where he actually becomes what we call a ‘stretch-four’ […] When I mentioned Brandon’s versatility as he gets strong enough to be able to post up inside, play away from the basket, bring bigger guys away from the basket, I think eventually that’s where he could be really a star.”

The key words to take from here are “down the road” — while Ingram stands at 6-foot-9 and boasts a 7-foot-3 wingspan, he weights a feather-like 190 pounds.

Why it needs to be later, not now

Article Continues Below
More Los Angeles Lakers News
Coco Gauff of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the women’s singles final against Aryna Sabalenka on day 14 at Roland Garros Stadium.
LeBron James erupts with huge reaction to Coco Gauff’s French Open winLorenzo J Reyna ·
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kobe Bryant, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers
How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws ‘influence’ from Kobe BryantTomer Azarly ·
LeBron James, Stephen (Steph) Curry, who may be heading to an ESPN NBA broadcasting booth after they retire, after Lakers-Warriors game on December 25, 2024.
ESPN has ‘hopeful’ LeBron James, Stephen Curry wishAndrew Korpan ·
Chris Paul rescinded NBA trade Lakers Hornets
NBA news: Chris Paul shuts down Hornets-Lakers trade conspiracyJulian Ojeda ·
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) during the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic’s offseason body transformation has Lakers fans hypedJedd Pagaduan ·
Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal stands next to Kobe Bryant with GOAT signs in background
Shaquille O’Neal has no regrets over treatment of Kobe BryantRandall Barnes ·

These are the same dimensions that once saw a high school prodigy by the name of Darius Miles drafted by the L.A. Clippers as a third overall pick.

While comparing their skill sets is a different conversation, but Ingram cannot play the power forward position as it stands right now. Posting up against a LaMarcus Aldridge, Anthony Davis or Draymond Green would be as close to a murder as one can watch on TV.

The sheer size and mass disadvantage against proven power forwards in the Western Conference would put him as a mismatch instead of a strength for the Lakers.

At 19 years old, he can still grow into his body and add a good amount of muscle weight during every offseason, but just as importantly learn the footwork and the positioning that comes with playing the four.

Ingram's game is purely athletic at the moment and he'll see the fruits of those advantages diminish very quickly in an NBA world where everyone watches tape and looks to nullify a player's strength and exploit his weaknesses.