One of the greatest atrributes about Los Angeles Lakers second-year forward Brandon Ingram is his length. At 6’9 with a 7’3 wingspan, Ingram can bail himself out of situations simply because of those long arms.
At the small forward position, Ingram can rise above smaller defenders to get his shot off, not to mention get into passing lanes or come up with some weak-side blocks on defense. Ingram is only 20 years old however, which means he could still be growing, and that looks to be the case.
On his daily radio show, Thompson and Trudell on ESPN LA, Lakers reporter Mike Trudell said that he believes Ingram has grown an inch or two (H/T Bleacher Report):
“I think he’s at least 6’10”. He might be 6’11”. … I think he might be 6’11”, if not 7 feet,”
The idea of Ingram still growing is scary for his opponents and those having to guard him for years to come. Ingram has been working hard to improve himself this summer and looked much improved in his lone Summer League performance. Adding more height and length to his expected development makes him that much more dangerous.
There’s no telling whether his official height will be changed to reflect his growth as those can be misleading. Kevin Durant remained listed at 6’9 for years despite everyone knowing he was 7’0, Kevin Garnett requested to be listed at 6’11 despite being a couple inches taller, and most famously Charles Barkley was listed at 6’9 for years despite not even being 6’6.
In the end, Ingram’s height won’t matter if he doesn’t improve his skillset and add some strength to his frame. This should remind people, however, that Ingram is still so young and some patience should still be stressed with him. He is still growing, both physically and mentally, and his game will continue to improve right along with it.
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