Like any other draft, future potential NBA players are thoroughly inspected to better speculate the positives and negatives that they bring to the table. No matter how great the player, there always seems to be a few weaknesses, or at least things to improve on for that matter.
Aside from being razor thin, the Lakers’ No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft Brandon Ingram was criticized for his laid-back demeanor. However, according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, Ingram understands the importance of being a vocal presence on the court.
Brandon Ingram says he learned how important it is to lead vocally through Coach K, plans to bring that to LA.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) July 5, 2016
Ingram struggled a bit at the start of his freshman year at Duke as he was still getting acquainted with his teammates and it showed in his stats. He had four single-digit performances in his first seven games.
However, much to the request of Coach K, Ingram was much more vocal on the floor and had only one more single-digit game the rest of the season. The result was Ingram having one the most impressive seasons by a college forward in recent history, averaging 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game.
That attitude seemingly hasn’t changed now that he has made the jump to the NBA. Among the expectations that come with playing for a franchise like the Lakers, in a city like Los Angeles, now he is expected to fill the shoes of its greatest player in Kobe Bryant, and has already taken Bryant’s locker in the practice facility.
One of the things that made Bryant so legendary was his work ethic and no-nonsense approach to the game of basketball. He was not afraid to call out a player who wasn’t playing up to his full potential or even slacking off in day-to-day practices. Though he might have rubbed people the wrong way at times, it is a small price to pay to reach the level of success that Ingram hopes to someday achieve.