It is no secret that Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram struggled a bit in his rookie season, particularly in the first half, after being drafted with the second overall pick out of Duke.
But Ingram made big strides in the second half of the season, averaging 13.2 points and 2.5 assists, shooting 47.5 percent from the field after averaging just 8.0 points and 1.9 assists and 36.3 percent in the first half.
Ingram has continued that improvement into the offseason, as he worked extremely hard at the Lakers practice facility both on his game and his strength.
In a recent interview with Lakers Reporter Mike Trudell, Ingram discussed the improvements he’s made this summer:
“This past year I didn’t feel like I ever got into a groove where I just felt comfortable every single game and was playing like myself. I got a chance to reflect on (the season), to see where I could get better, have a better mentality and gain confidence. I went into the game (at Summer League) and it all felt natural. I felt like myself again. I felt like I was just playing regular basketball. Now I feel even better. Better conditioned, stronger. We’ve been putting in so much work in the weight room. The skill work we’ve been doing every single day … working on offense and defense. Especially with my improved conditioning, I think with my point guard Lonzo Ball kicking the ball ahead and the way we want to play fast … the sky is the limit.”
That improvement was immediately shown at the Las Vegas Summer League when Ingram scored 26 points in his lone game, scoring in a variety of different ways.
Ingram was recently pegged as one of the top sophomores to break out this season, and the Lakers have the same expectations for him as general manager Rob Pelinka said he will be the team’s primary playmaker late in games. It looks like No. 14 could be in for a big second year with the Lakers developing into one of the league’s bright young stars.