2016 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Brandon Ingram
With the 2016 NBA Draft not too far away, here’s a look at Brandon Ingram’s scouting report.
Brandon Ingram wasn’t nearly as hyped coming to college as Ben Simmons was, yet he was still an intriguing prospect because of his size, length and athleticism for the small forward position.
With a lack of frontcourt depth due to forward Amile Jefferson going down early with a foot injury, coach Mike Krzyzewski played Ingram at power forward for the majority of the season and the results were mixed at best.
Standing at 6’9″ with a 7’3″ wingspan, he has the pure physical measurements to create mismatches on either end of the floor, but his weight and strength played a huge part in him not competing for rebounds as often as scouts would’ve liked to see.
The NBA is looking for guys who can play the 4 in small lineups and Ingram isn’t there yet at this point in his development. But once he fills out that frame he’ll impact the game in more ways than just scoring.
Scoring is his calling card for now though, and he showed off an array of shots and moves both around the basket and from the perimeter that perked up scouts and put him in the conversation for the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Even though he showed off occasional playmaking ability off the dribble in college, Ingram made his mark shooting with efficiency within and beyond the three-point arc. Ingram shot 46.4 percent on two-point shots and 41.0 percent on threes.
Between pull-up and catch-and-shoot opportunities, Ingram knocked shots down in different pressure situations, and if you have the first pick in the draft you want someone who can create shots for himself and score when the game is on the line.
Ingram wants the ball late in the game and he has all the tools to get it through the hoop. He reminded a lot of scouts this year of Kevin Durant because of his length shooting the ball from the perimeter. I don’t know if his ceiling is that high as a player because Durant was a better rebounder in college and played center at times for Texas, but that’s not a knock on Ingram’s potential at all.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
His 17.3 points per game are nothing to sneeze at, and he was only 18 years old as a freshman. He’s younger than Simmons and has scoring skills that can translate to the next level right away.
Defense is an area I’m curious to see Ingram develop his game because he has the lateral quickness and motor to affect plays, but his frame leaves more questions than answers if he’s going up against bigger wings like LeBron James or Paul George.
He’s an easy post-up target early on in his career and it’s up to Ingram to learn proper defensive position in the post to somewhat counter the pure size advantage a lot of forwards will have on him his rookie year.
Ingram’s full potential isn’t as high as Simmons, but his weaknesses primarily have to do with his body. The league’s weight training programs will have him gaining muscle in no time, and the rest of his issues are things that are teachable at the next level. He doesn’t have any flaws that are deal breakers and that’s impressive for such a young talent.
More hoops habit: NBA Injuries: 20 Stars That Deserve Career Do-Overs
Workouts and interviews are what will separate Ingram and Simmons regarding who goes first. But don’t sleep on Ingram. He has as good of a shot as anyone to claim that No. 1 spot.