Brandon Ingram has had a scorching hot start to the season, breaking out as one of the New Orleans Pelicans' biggest highlights of the young season, despite starting it without No. 1 pick Zion Williamson taking the court. Without the top-overall rookie, Ingram has become the team's leading scorer and the go-to option for the Pelicans, something teammate Josh Hart has quickly noticed with a renewed change of attitude after being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason.
Ingram poured in a beastly 35 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a narrow loss to the Houston Rockets, proof that he's set to lead this team from the onset.
“He plays like he has a chip on his shoulder,” Hart observed about Ingram, according to Mark Medina of USA TODAY Sports. “That’s when those kind of guys are dangerous. Today was a small sample of what he can do.”
The former No. 2 overall pick is getting it done at both ends of the floor and highlighting his length and athleticism once again after being forced to miss the later part of the 2018-19 season with deep vein thrombosis — something that gave him that extra burning desire to show what he can do on the floor.
“I was away from the basketball game for so long. When I play it now, I just like to take advantage of it,” said Ingram. “That was a crazy process for me. So when I step out on the floor, it’s just fun for me.”
Ingram seems to be letting loose for the first time, developing into a more confident player and one that is bound to get a hefty paycheck if he keeps it up, as the Pelicans opted to stay away from a contract extension this offseason — one that might cost them in the long run once he becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
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