Because I think he’s finally figured it out
This was originally going to be a post about my week 2 and 3 NBA thoughts, but after Ingram’s 40-point game, I can’t help but feel like a proud older brother because I never lost faith in his ability to be great. Therefore, I am going to be straightforward with what this post is. It is both an analysis of Brandon Ingram’s game and his development as a pro, but it’s secondarily a post which allows me to gush over how proud I am of Brandon Ingram’s growth in the NBA.
He has come a long way for a player who had to be taught how to use both feet when jumping…
Ingram is the model of perseverance. Coming from Kinston, North Carolina where his hometown is still seeing the ramifications of the 2008 recession, Ingram has fought since he was a little kid to be a great basketball player. The spotlight in LA was difficult and he was often scrutinized because impatient Lakers fans wanted him to become something he was not yet ready to be – a superstar. It seems like though, as soon as he was sent out the door for one, he has started to blossom into one himself. Through seven games in the NBA season, Brandon Ingram has turned himself into a legitimate contender for a place on an All-NBA team this season. So, what is he doing and how is he doing it? Let’s check it out.
Here’s Ingram’s 2019-20 season so far:
It seems like this season (in a limited sample size of seven games) Ingram has finally figured out who he is as an NBA player and he finally seems comfortable in an offense fit for him. So far this year he’s averaging 26 points per game (including a career high 40 point game), 7 rebounds per game (also a career high) and his footwork looks better overall. His drive and turnaround fadeaways 10 feet from the basket are finally going in and he is getting better at passing out of his drives.
For the past three years, when Ingram drove to the basket you could count on it being a black-hole and you’re best chance to get the ball if you were a teammate was via an offensive rebound. Now Ingram passes out to the wing when he has the ball and he’s making his teammates better as a result.
Although, this year you could argue he should shoot more because he’s averaging a phenomenal 55% from the field and 64% from shots 10-16 feet from the basket. Like I said, his mid-range jumpers and little turnarounds in the post are finally working! On top of this, Ingram is shooting a staggering 45% from three (on five attempts per game) to start the year! If he keeps up this pace he’ll have attempted about 410 threes for the season and made about 185 of them (expounded for 82 games). Those would be career highs for him by far.
I think it’s safe to say he’s finally found his rhythm. Ingram is not only playing the best basketball of his career, but he’s playing like one of the best players in the league.
(INGRAM AND-1 for third bucket of game against Jarrett Allen)
Another great thing about Ingram is that he’s doing all of this on two less minutes per game than the past two seasons. Hopefully, the reduced minutes will lead to a healthier season for him because that is the only thing that can hold him back at this point. Yeah his shooting percentages will probably regress more to the mean, but his health is the real question mark that could keep from achieving an All-NBA level of play. In his first season Ingram played 79 games, then 59, then 52. The blood clot situation was an absolute tragedy last year because it happened right after the All-Star break when the Lakers were trying to make a playoff push, and it happened right as Ingram was playing the best basketball of his career.
Here was his stat line from after the All-Star break up until his last game in the 2018-19 season:
As you can see, his stat line is similar to this year and it happened over a similar amount of games. Maybe he’s only capable of six game hot stretches, but we’ve seen flashes of this level of play before. Just look back to two years ago in an overtime loss to the then Kevin Durant led Warriors. Ingram played the best game of his career up to that point going toe-to-toe with Durant as he finished with 32 in an OT loss. To this day, this is the most impressed I have ever been of Brandon Ingram in a single game. You could also see the blue-print and potential of what Ingram could become one day as he traded basket after basket with Kevin Durant.
After this game, it was the first time that you could start to make the case Brandon Ingram was better than Ben Simmons (or had the potential to be)…which leads me to my final point because it’s time we start talking about it.
Any two players drafted back-to-back in a draft, especially as two of the top picks are intertwined for their entire careers. Hakeem and Jordan dealt with this, Trae Young and Luka Doncic are experiencing this now and Simmons and Ingram are just another example of a rivalry that develops because of draft position. No one would dispute the case that Ben Simmons has had the better career so far. Although he hasn’t registered a regular season three yet, his ability to execute an offensive scheme and direct traffic like a veteran has separated him so far in their careers. Simmons has also had the edge defensively and health up to this point. Simmons is day-to-day with his current shoulder injury so this is the perfect time for Ingram to showcase his talents and remind casual NBA fans that he’s still out there and he’s only getting better (did I mention he’s only 22??).
Ingram, like Simmons, has an unconventional skill-set. They’re both big men who can create plays and dribble like they’re guards, they can play all five positions, and they both finish with their non-dominant hand more often. If you look at Simmons, he finished strong with his right-hand in the post and at the rim more often than his left hand. This has led many analysts to think he’s using the wrong hand. When Ingram came into the league, he faced criticism for going left too often and not finishing with his right hand (his dominant hand). This would normally be fine if not for the fact that when he drove with his left hand, he usually would try to finish with his right, resulting in awkward angles or his shot getting blocked when it shouldn’t. So these guys are both pretty unconventional when it comes to basketball players; a product of their size, unrefined skillset and talent.
So how have they both faired head-to-head? In four games against each other, Ingram has averaged 25.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He has an overall record of 1-3 against Simmons, but he also hit this beautiful game winner on the road in the 2017-18 season because the 76ers were terrified of being beat by Lonzo Ball.
He also scored a then-career-high 36 points against Philly in the 2018-19 season.
In their series matchups, Ben Simmons is averaging 14.3 points, 8 boards, and 9.5 assists in the series with the winning record (obviously). If you take into account the fact that Ingram averaged 14.4 points per game in his career up until this season, you can see that his averages against the 76ers are anomalies, which means these games meant more to him than the other regular-season ones he played. It also showed that he can compete at the highest level against the best competition.
Brandon’s 40-Point Game versus the Nets
Everything Brandon Ingram has been working towards culminated in his 40-point performance on Monday night against the Nets. All of the moves that he couldn’t finish before and all of the dribble moves he couldn’t make have been disappearing this season and were completely gone on Monday night.
Just look at the advanced moves Brandon makes even compared to his 32-point game against Durant. He is much more mature with the ball and his footwork is impeccable. Hard work truly pays off. Here are some of my favorite highlights of his from this game.
At the 34 second mark, Ingram perfectly directs the pick n roll and performs a perfectly under control step-back for a jumper on the left side of the court. This shot is a testament to his control and tempo.
At 1:20, Ingram goes right strong, absorbs the contact and finished strong over Jarrett Allen.
At 1:30 you see his development as a passer. He drives in, collapses the defense and kicks it out to Jackson right in his shooting pocket.
1:53 is moment where you see his footwork improvement. He plants his right foot about 8 feet from the basket and fadeaways on Allen drawing the and-1.
My biggest takeaway from this game is that you can see his noticeable improvement on every bucket, his patience. Nothing seems as rushed as it did before. It looks like the game has finally slowed down for him. He finally gets the pace of the game, he understands how to read defenses, and he understands which moves to make when he attacks them. He’s playing the game and attacking at his own pace which is the true sign of an offensive superstar. Like his game against Durant, it’s fitting that Ingram’s career performance was juxtaposed with Kyrie Irving’s. Brandon Ingram was going shot-for-shot with the best creator in the game just like he did against Kevin Durant two years ago.
Ingram Going Forward
So how can Ingram keep getting better? Yes, and I think it comes down to two things.
First, as Ingram gets more reps being the number one option on offense, he’ll keep developing a rhythm and improving offensively. As his workload increases, we’ll continue to see him grow as a player. Any NBA player can create a shot for himself every now and then, but the best-of-the-best can do it every single possession and make their teammates around them better as a result. As Ingram grows more as a player, he will have to involve his teammates more on offense and continue to produce more consistent scoring outbursts (which he has shown a knack to do over 6-7 game stretches).
Second, Brandon Ingram needs to increase his free throw attempts and create more free throw opportunities for himself. There are still numerous examples of times when Ingram could drive to the basket and absorb contact, but he prefers to stop, pivot and shoot a jumper instead – which is obviously a lower percentage shot than a layup or a free throw.
Ingram’s current free throw rate is too low for someone of his size and handle. He averages 4.2 free throws per game for his career and is currently at five per game this season. He’ll never need to reach Harden’s numbers of 12 to 14 per game, but if he can achieve Durant’s rate of about 7 per game, that could really open things up for him. It will also allow his free throw percentage to go up (his career average is 66%) because he’ll be more comfortable at the line with more attempts.
In his career night versus the Nets, he only took five free throws. Just imagine what he could do if he got to the line 10 times instead! This will allow him to be a consistent closer for the Pelicans because they can throw him the ball with 1 minute left knowing he’ll either create a bucket or get to the line for two free throws.
When he gets going though, he can really make some ridiculous shots. Just look at the shot from 2:33. he once again hits a sick, incredibly difficult fadeaway over a 7-footer.
Eventually, he’ll need to get a post-up game to take advantage of switches like when he gets the isolation on Kyrie Irving at the 2:25 mark.
He made the shot, but he could still get a higher percentage one by getting to the rim.
Like I said before though, he just turned 22! He has five more years before he’s considered to be in his prime and will have a more complete game.
In addition, his defense needs to improve. It’s fine and passable for now, but if he can get to above league average then Ingram will turn himself into a perennial All-NBA player. (Ingram bad defense clip)
I’m not worried about his rebounding because of the position he’s usually in – guarding wings and handling the ball on the perimeter – it’s harder for him to grab rebounds at such a high rate. Because of his potential for growth and because of how well he’s played to start the year, Brandon Ingram is a must-watch player for the rest of the season.
Brandon Ingram is a testament to the fact that hard work pays off. While talent and length certainly helps, they can only carry you so far. Brandon Ingram is excelling in New Orleans and I could not be happier for him. I hope he keeps it up and makes a real run at being an All-Star this year because he deserves it.
**photos via NBA.com