There will be a lot of pressure on second-year Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram this season. After showing flashes down the stretch of last season, the Lakers will be looking towards Ingram to be the top offensive option as both Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have stated.
In order to live up to those expectations Ingram will have to make some serious improvements this summer and he has been doing exactly that. Ingram’s work ethic has been lauded by everyone in the organization and he has been hard at work this off-season to prepare himself for a big season.
In a blog post for BiProUSA.com Ingram spoke on what he’s worked to improve this summer. In particular, Ingram feels much more comfortable with his jump shot:
“I’ve been working on my shot mechanics to get better,” Ingram said. “It feels more comfortable now. I’m more confident from the perimeter and feel ready to nail my outside shots.”
Ingram shot only 40.2 percent from the field and an even worse 29.4 percent from three-point range in his rookie season. Though his overall shooting got better after the All-Star break, more improvements are still necessary and he understands that.
Additionally, Ingram outlined what else he has been working to improve this off-season:
“I’m focused on ball-handling, running off screens, scoring in the mid-post and attacking the rim,” he said. “On the defensive end, I want to get quicker laterally and I’m trying to use my length to block more shots.”
It is great to hear Ingram focused on improving on both ends. Between his ball-handling, passing, scoring, and defense Ingram has the potential to be an excellent all-around player and the Lakers are banking on that.
Whether he will ultimately live up to the expectations remains to be seen, but he is putting in the work to take a big leap this season. With improvements both on the court, and as a leader on the team, Ingram could show everyone why the Lakers took him second overall in the draft last year.