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Brandon Ingram has yet to play a game for the Toronto Raptors, but has already established what he expects to accomplish once he makes his debut with the team.
“Being the focal point of the offense, I think I can just show my playmaking skills…,” Ingram told ClutchPoint’s Josh Lewenberg. I get to show them that I've been a 3-point shooter for most of my life.”
Ingram was traded to the Raptors in a February deal. Days after the move, Ingram agreed to a three-year, $120 million extension with the Raptors. The 27-year-old only played 18 games with the New Orleans Pelicans last season prior to the trade, and has been recovering from an ankle injury.
“He's pain-free, he's moving well, he got stronger,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic told TSN recently. “He's in a really, really great spot.”
When healthy, Ingram is a dangerous scorer who has also become a better playmaker. Before his season ended last year, he averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while shooting around 37 percent from range.
Toronto is hoping that Ingram will be able to assist Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and others as they attempt to make the postseason for the first time since 2022.
The team went 30-52 last season and finished 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. They traded Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk to the Pelicans as part of the Ingram deal, and never seemed to find any cohesiveness as a unit due to injuries and other deficiencies.
While Ingram was only recently cleared for contact, he has brought playoff expectations to Toronto. The Duke product played in 10 postseason contests during his time in New Orleans, and has expressed confidence regarding the Raptors’ chances of making the tournament.
“We’re making the playoffs, for sure,” Ingram said recently.
It remains to be seen how the Raptors will look with a fully healthy Brandon Ingram, but the Kinston native seems ready to silence the critics.
