Brandon Ingram is on the verge of history going into the NBA All-Star break. The former All-Star is one point away from eclipsing the 9,000 career points milestone with one home date with the Washington Wizards remaining before the league goes on vacation. The 26-year-old would become the 64th active player to clear that achievement, and he's done so at a near-Hall of Fame pace.
Don't believe it? It took 1996 inductee George Yardley 472 games to get 9,063 points. Sure the game was played differently in Yardley's era but Ingram is on game 463 of his career. The shots still have to fall regardless of the pace of play or hand-checking rules. Ingram is doing it in style and his game has substance that helps the Pelicans win playoff games. These are not empty stats from the North Carolina native, who is on the verge of breaking into the top five of many franchise record categories.
For instance, Ingram made NBA history in a 138-100 New Orleans Pelicans win over the visiting Toronto Raptors. Ingram missed only five shots (16-21) in a thrilling performance, becoming the first player in NBA history to tally 40 points and nine assists with zero turnovers in 30 minutes or less according to the team. His six made 3-pointers in the third quarter are the most of any Pelicans player ever in a single quarter.
Third-year head coach Willie Green spoke about Ingram's accomplishments after the most recent road win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
“It's definitely a significant milestone for [Brandon],” Green said. “I'm sure he will get that next game, but it shows his ability to score and hopefully he can continue to do that for us.”
Consistent scoring has been a given for Ingram ever since he came over from the Los Angeles Lakers. Ingram's 24.7 points per game last season is the highest mark of any New Orleans player besides Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis. Ingram (23.3 ppg) is right behind Davis (23.7 ppg) for points averaged in New Orleans. Ingram is fifth in made field goals and two-pointers.
Ingram sits fourth overall in made 3-pointers, needing 52 more this season to move into second in franchise history behind Peja Stojakovic. Taking more triples has been emphasized for a reason. The Pelicans are 12-4 when Ingram sinks more than one shot from beyond the arc.
If healthy, Ingram should catch Chris Paul and Jrue Holiday in total points next season. The midrange maestro is fourth in free-throws attempted and he passed Tyreke Evans for third in assists in December.
Brandon Ingram's defense winning games for Pelicans
A well-rounded, respected offensive game is now getting paired with an intense defensive focus. The Pelicans are 14-7 when Brandon Ingram has multiple blocks and/or steals in a game. Ingram has come up big on the other end of the court, including a game-saving block of Victor Wembanyama that led directly to a Zion Williamson game-winning drive.
Ingram's career high in blocks (43) came back in his second season. The All-Star has already denied 30 shots this season, along with 39 steals. Ingram should post career highs in both categories at the current rates.
Two other defensive stalwarts, Chris Paul and Jrue Holiday, will likely have their New Orleans jerseys retired first, but Ingram will not be far behind with a few more years of producing at a franchise-record-setting level. He's that good for New Orleans.
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