Don’t let late season injuries overshadow Brandon Ingram’s progress

1. Still such a young player

What is still crazy to consider is that Brandon Ingram was drafted as an 18-year-old out of college, and won’t turn 21 until Sept. 2, making him the second-youngest player on the Los Angeles Lakers and only a month older than current rookie Lonzo Ball. Him and Lonzo are two of the most level-headed 20-year-olds in the NBA and are the backbone of the Lakers’ bright future.

Ingram doesn’t give off the vibe of a 20-year-old on or off the court, with his calm demeanor being one of his best traits given it can’t be coached into a player. He is well ahead of the curve when it comes to knowing where his spots on the offensive side of the floor are and getting to them to take his high efficiency shots.

The biggest room for improvement is his jumper, in particular his 3-point shot, but he has shown the ability to score at a high rate while taking less than two 3-pointers a game. Adding a consistent jumper from deep will only make him more potent on the offensive end.

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His improvement this season without making a leap with his jump shot marks the sign of a player that knows his skill-set and is being placed into effective positions to succeed from his coaching staff. I know he has rarely played since March, but he was on a tear before his injuries, and we shouldn’t overlook the strides he was making despite him missing roughly 20 games on the season.