Scouting Report: Brandon Ingram

Name: Brandon Ingram DOB: 9/2/1997 (18) School: Duke

Height: 6’9 Weight: 190 Projected Position: SF

2015-16 Stats:

17.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, 2.0 tpg, 1.4 bpg (34.6 mpg)

44.2 FG%, 68.2 FT%, 41.0 3FG%, 55.2 TS%, 52.5 eFG%

25.6 USG%, 15.5 DREB%, 10.8 REB%, 1.9 STL%, 3.6 BLK%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Perimeter Shooting

If there was one area where Ingram really impressed this past season, it was as a long-range spot shooter. With good size on the perimeter, Ingram can be tough to stop from getting good looks on the perimeter, though he still needs to work on finding some consistency in his motion and release. At his best, Ingram’s motion is smooth off the catch, and his high release makes it tough for defenders to affect his shot, but if he hesitates off the catch, he will often find himself rushing through his motion and short-arming his release. Because Ingram is also a good threat to attack the basket, defenders can be stuck on whether to play him tight on the perimeter or give him some space so they can cut off a drive, leaving Ingram with options based on the defense. Based on this, Ingram uses a jab step and a couple of dribbles well to clear enough space for his jumper when he needs it. While Ingram’s shot selection is generally good from the perimeter, he can force some shots, especially when not making sure he has cleared a defender before taking a shot. As good as Ingram could be from long-range, he wasn’t very good shooting in the mid-range area, especially off the dribble. While he is able to clear space to get his shot off the dribble, he has trouble making sure he gets square to the basket, and his body drifts as he tries to release the shot, often causing him to be severely off the mark. Ingram was much more of a spot-shooter, and he didn’t show much in the way of moving without the ball to get open or using screens, though at his size, it wasn’t always all that necessary. Still, it’s an area he should put some work into.

Ballhandling/Penetration/Passing

Ingram is a good ballhandler for his size, with the ability to use both hands well, and able to attack the basket, or create space for his shot, in either direction, though he will often find the left side open to him. While not having a great speed burst off the dribble, his long, smooth strides and good first step make it tough for defenders to stay in front of him. Ingram shows very good control as he maneuvers through the defense, including a fantastic spin move that he goes to often, and he is capable of finishing around the basket with either hand. Also, his length and long strides often have defenders reaching in on him, allowing him to draw a lot of fouls, shooting and non-shooting. Ingram is a creative finisher around the basket, and has shown some explosive leaping ability, but he can have trouble finishing against longer defenders, and instead of looking for the contact, he will attempt shots from wherever he tends to be instead of getting to the rim. That’s not bad in itself, but he hasn’t shown very much consistency with short jumpers, floaters, etc.

Ingram is at his best in isolation situations, where he usually has some kind of mismatch on the wing, but he is also somewhat proficient as a pick-and-roll ballhandler, especially when looking for his own shot. He has a good knack for forcing switches when he has the ball, allowing him to get the match-up he wants, and though not a great passer in pick-and-roll situations, he has decent vision and passing ability.

Post Offense

Ingram didn’t spend a lot of time looking to post up, but he was successful when he did, and teams would be foolish not to use his size and skill to an advantage when the match-ups are there. Ingram wasn’t exactly a polished post player, instead relying on jumpers after backing his man down, but the potential is there with his ballhandling and athleticism to get him to do more when he has the match-ups down low. The jumpers worked though, with his ability to shoot over almost anyone he was matched up against, but he will be seeing longer, more agile defenders in the NBA, so he if he is going to go into the post, he should add more to his repertoire, including looking to face-up and drive past his man. While he seemed to spend almost all of his post-up time on the left block, there’s nothing in his skill set to show that he couldn’t be as effective on the right, as well.

Free Throw Shooting

While Ingram’s perimeter shooting was an area of strength in his freshman season, free throw shooting was certainly not, though there are plenty of reasons to believe he will improve plenty in the next few years. His main issue seems to be finding a smooth, consistent release similar to what he shows at time with his jumper. Instead, Ingram will find himself shooting into his release with at different spots, sometimes causing his shot to come out more as a line drive. He does do a good job getting to the line, having a free throw rate just over 35 percent. While he does rely on shooting jumpers a lot, when he does look to get to the basket, his long, smooth strides can have defenders reaching in to try and stop him.

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Defense

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

The first thing everyone is drawn to with Ingram is his wingspan, close to 7’3 or 7’4, but he hasn’t developed the defensive skills yet to really utilize it effectively. On the ball, Ingram positions himself well between his man and the basket, but his lateral movement can use some work and consistency, especially when it comes to trying to make shorter, quicker movements instead of long strides which take a bit longer. While he generally reacts well to his man’s movements, he has some problems making quick changes in direction, letting a good ballhandler draw him out of position. When engaged though, he shows a good defensive stance, and his length does allow him to give a bit of space and still be able to recover. Even with his length, Ingram won’t take many chances reaching for the ball, choosing to play off and hope to cut off penetration. Ingram also has some issues due to his lack of strength, where a simple bump from an offensive player can clear him easily off his stance and movements. Ingram needs to work on getting over screens, and learn to not rely on switches or going under.

Off the ball, Ingram positions himself well and shows better movement, using his length well to deny passing lanes, when needed. He isn’t very active, though he hasn’t been exposed often to having to defend a player through multiple screens and movements. Ingram has decent awareness, but he can often get caught focusing on either just his man or the ball, leaving him open to back-door cuts or having someone drive right behind him. Because of his length and athleticism though, Ingram can still make up ground quickly if he gets beat. He has shown to be a good shot-blocker in those types of situations where a man think he has cleared Ingram, and he can also chase down blocks from the opposite side if he sees the play developing. Ingram does a good job closing on shooters on the perimeter, and even with giving some space, he uses his length well to try and disrupt shot attempts.

Rebounding

Though he averaged almost seven rebounds per game, Ingram wasn’t a big factor on the boards, unless he happened to be right around the rim. He’s not one to look and box out or put a body on someone, but instead relied on his length to outreach others for the missed shot. Also, he could put in a bit more effort in tracking the ball, getting into position, and looking to box out. Ingram can be a factor on the offensive boards with his reach and quick-leaping ability, and he’s certainly someone teams will need to keep an eye on if he looks to crash from the perimeter, but with the amount of jumpers he takes, he was rarely in position to make an impact. Ingram is very good at following up on his own misses at the rim, getting good second shots and tip-ins before defensive players can usually react.

Transition

Ingram can be very good in transition, whether pushing the ball up the court as the ballhandler, or running one of the wings, where he can spot up from behind the arc or take the ball to the rim. With the ball, he is likely to try and get to the basket himself, not showing much in terms of vision and passing ability, even when defenders to converge on him. He can also have some issues with control when he looks to get to the basket on his own, but, generally, he is a good finisher. Ingram’s long strides can be tough to for backpedaling defenders to stay with, so he does usually have a good deal of space to work.

Intangibles/Summary

As a whole, Ingram had a good freshman season, though his inconsistency is so many areas, while expected for a freshman, made some of the hype seem a little outlandish. Ingram was a good spot-shooter, especially from behind the arc, but shooting off the dribble, or almost anything within the arc, seemed to be an adventure. Long and athletic, Ingram is a good ballhandler for his size, and while not very fast, his long strides to the rim can be tough on defenders trying to contain or help. He was an inconsistent finisher around the basket, and often seemed hesitant to go right at shot-blockers, but if given some space, he uses his athleticism well to finish in some spectacular ways. Even when he draws contact, he wasn’t able to take advantage at the free throw line enough, especially for as good of a three-pointer shooter as he was. Defensively, Ingram seems to have all the tools that many coaches are looking for, including long arms and athletic ability, but he just doesn’t really understand how to play defense yet. There were moments when he seemed locked in a bit on the defensive end, but he was so inconsistent that you couldn’t really count on him to contain his man. Ingram could still make up for some of these deficiencies with his ability to block and alter shots, and as his awareness improves, he should find himself being able to make more plays. Ingram will need to work on bulking up and getting stronger, which should hopefully come in time, and should eventually help him on offense, defense, and his rebounding.

Draft Value: Early Lottery– #1-5

The fact that we are talking about Ingram possibly being a number one pick is more a statement on how poor the top of this draft is than a reflection on Ingram. There is a lot to like about him, including a nice long-range shooting stroke, athleticism, and the physical attributes which could help him become a good defender, but I’m not sure he is the kind of impact player you may expect at the top of a draft, and if it does happen, it could be a bit of a wait before he takes major steps. Still, if you are a team that is going through a rebuild, he can be someone who can be a big contributor down the road.

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