Los Angeles Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram has had plenty of ups and downs throughout his first season. Ingram has struggled shooting the ball this year but has shown his all-around skill, playing point guard at times and making a consistent impact on defense.
Ingram had his first experience at All-Star Weekend as he and teammate D’Angelo Russell participated in the Rising Stars Challenge. If he plans on making it to the Sunday game instead of the Friday game however, Ingram knows he needs to make a lot of improvements.
According to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News, Ingram believes this summer will be huge for his growth as a player:
“This summer is going to be a big summer for me to make a great jump for next year and continue to show my work ethic and show what I can do on the basketball floor.”
Medina noted that Ingram plans on working out with Kobe Bryant as well as adding some more bulk to his frame. Even though this season isn’t over, Ingram is already looking to make a much bigger impact on the Lakers next season:
“I want to find ways to affect the game next year,” said Ingram, who is averaging 8 points but shooting only 36.3 percent. “On the offensive end, doing more of course and on the defensive end, being more locked in. It’s just about having the advantage of going through this season and having it all laid out.”
Of course, Ingram still has 24 more games this year with the Lakers. In no way does this mean he is overlooking the rest of this season, he simply understands what most NBA players already know: the biggest improvements are made in the off-season.
Ingram has already shown that he can do a little bit of everything on the court. The next step for him will be doing it all at a higher level on a more consistent basis. The road won’t be easy, but Ingram has the work ethic to make it happen and perhaps give the Lakers their next All-Star.