Since 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, Brandon Ingram has taken his game to another level in hopes of helping the Los Angeles Lakers end their five-year playoff drought.
While it is a small sample size of three games, Ingram is averaging 29.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 35.0 minutes. Unfortunately, his performances have only resulted in one win against the Rockets as the Lakers have not played with a sense of urgency considering the circumstances.
As LeBron James has been critical of his teammates following losses to the Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans and rebuilding Memphis Grizzlies, he did praise Ingram, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“He’s just been in a zone. Whatever it is, he needs to stay there.”
Through Ingram’s first three seasons, he has proven to be a slow starter who plays better as the season progresses. Since Ingram’s four-game suspension and ankle injury, he has shown flashes of why he was the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and is learning how to play with and without James.
However, in order to truly reach his All-Star potential, the next step for Ingram is to be consistent. While the 21-year-old’s shooting percentages (56.6/60.0/75.9) in the last three games may not be sustainable, his ability to get to the basket and get to the free-throw line (9.7 attempts) has been extremely valuable.
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