Brandon Ingram, 19, is one of the players with the brightest future in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers are enamored with the work ethic, basketball IQ, and potential of the 6-foot-9 in forward. The Lakers are building towards success once again, and Ingram will certainly be one of the notable faces of the franchise going forward. His improvement has started this off-season.
Ingram's rocky start
Ingram has been criticized for being too lean. He only weighs 190 pounds. This clearly played to his disadvantage in his rookie season with the Lakers. He was not able to absorb contact in the paint, and, therefore, finish efficiently around the rim.
Ingram averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 assists, and 4.0 rebounds. These numbers are not extraordinary but allowed him to make the second All NBA Rookie Team. In addition, he was able to play 79 games, and that is news for a rookie. Ingram improved his play during the second half of the season as he became the starting small forward in place of veteran Luol Deng.
A new Ingram
Ingram looked like a new man in the single game he played in this year's Summer League. It was a forceful and determined Ingram that drove to the basket at will and showcased a polished offensive repertoire. And, now, he has more help. Lonzo Ball will be the Lakers' floor general from now on, and that will only be good news for Ingram, who will run the floor and cut harder than ever.
He will surely get easier baskets. Lakers fans can look forward to their new dynamic duo of Ball and Ingram.
Ingram says he is stronger
It was clear that this off-season was going to be important for Brandon Ingram. Players get better and add to their game during the off-season. While many take a long break, the players who want to be great work harder than ever, and Ingram wants to be great.
Ingram described how he is training during this off-season to a blog post for protein supplement brand BiProUSA. “I’m in the weight room more this summer than I have been in the past. My mentality has totally changed,” said Ingram.
“I have a way stronger base than I did this time last year. Now I’m able to better take hits on the court and get to my spots,” Ingram said.
“I know I have to get stronger, so I’m working to gain strength so I can both take bumps on the court and of course deliver them.” Ingram will never come close to being the physical specimen that is LeBron James for example. Ingram knows he needs to get stronger, but also to play to his strengths.
Ingram has been compared to recent NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant, a player who has a similar body composition. Durant, 28, is still not heavily built and has rather focused on using his length and agility to his advantage against shorter or slower players. Ingram looks determined to follow a similar path. Whether he will reach similar greatness remains to be seen, but he sure is on the right track.
