The young Los Angeles Lakers have been turning heads early on this season, coming out of the gates with an impressive 3-3 start despite a daunting early-season schedule. Coming into this season, the talk was about development being the most important thing, and one of the players most thought about when it comes to development is rookie Brandon Ingram.
Ingram enjoyed his best game of the season on Friday night against his idol Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors totaling 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
After the win over the Warriors, Ingram spoke about what he believed the Lakers win over the Warriors meant, via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Ingram takeaway from Lakers win: "Shows that we can be a contender in this league….I think we can make a push in this league, and not wait."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 5, 2016
Those are very strong words from Ingram as being a contender in this Western Conference is a huge step from winning 17 games one season ago. Things are certainly turning around for the Lakers, but obviously it is still very early in the season.
Nonetheless it’s hard not to get excited about how the Lakers have looked thus far. They have played nothing but playoff teams thus far and have been in every game, showing great heart and resilience in fighting back from early deficits.
For Ingram individually, his performance against the Warriors could be the confidence boost he needs to begin stepping up and making more of an impact. His shooting numbers haven’t been great, but he has found other ways to make an impact every night, such as with his playmaking or his defense.
Things are looking up for Ingram and the Lakers. Whether or not they can keep up this pace and challenge for the playoffs remains to be seen, but the future is bright and that much is obvious.