Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram tweaked his ankle in the game against the New Orleans Pelicans. He appeared to step on Anthony Davis‘ foot, after which he hobbled to the sideline and was then taken to the locker room. Prior to the injury, Ingram had 10 points, four assists, and one steal.
Laker reporter Mike Trudell broke down the incident:
Brandon Ingram turned his left ankle, stepping on someone’s foot. He’s heading back to the locker room w/trainer Marco Nunez.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 13, 2016
While Lakers fans held their breath waiting for word on Ingram’s injury, the training staff worked on him and taped up his ankle. Though he didn’t return, the Lakers said after the game that Ingram’s ankle was fine via Mark Medina of the LA Daily News:
Lakers say Brandon Ingram's ankle is fine.
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 13, 2016
Ingram was the second overall pick for the Lakers in the 2016 NBA Draft after a stellar season at Duke. At 6’9″ with a 7’3″ wingspan, the hope was that the versatile Ingram can eventually become a star player in the NBA. He has a lot of work to do, but at just 19 years old Ingram has plenty of time to figure things out.
The Lakers play again tomorrow night against the young, talented Minnesota Timberwolves. Playing a back-to-back on the road is never easy, and plane travel often isn’t easy on an ankle as far as swelling goes. Should Ingram be unable to play, the Lakers will have to put more of a burden on the shoulders of Luol Deng.
It’s also possible that veteran forward Metta World Peace would see minutes with Ingram sidelined. Another option would be to slide a bigger guard, like Jordan Clarkson, down to small forward and allow one or both of Marcelo Huertas and Jose Calderon back into the rotation. Of course, the ideal situation is that all players are healthy and ready to go against the Timberwolves, but it’s unlikely that the Lakers will take any chances with their prized rookie this early in the season.