The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be without star small forward LeBron James for a few games, so it's an opportunity for swingman Brandon Ingram to take his game to the next level and have the ball in his hands more.

LeBron James suffered a left groin strain on Christmas against the Golden State Warriors. The expectation is that the four-time MVP is going to miss multiple games, giving Brandon Ingram the chance to score the ball more and be featured on offense.

“It's an opportunity,” Ingram said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It's an opportunity for me to go out there and play my game a little bit more. I think I'm going to be a little bit more ball dominant, cutting off the basketball. I have to play even better defense and be on the help side on the defensive end. So it's a chance for me to just up my game a little bit.”

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In 23 games this season for the Lakers, Brandon Ingram is averaging 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. The former No. 2 overall pick is shooting 47.1 percent from the floor, 31.0 percent from beyond the arc and 64.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Brandon Ingram is averaging 12.6 shots per game this season. That number is going to increase while James is out of the lineup. Let's see if Ingram can handle the load on offense for the Lakers while The King is out.