Los Angeles Lakers: Early predictions for the 2018-19 starting lineup
Small Forward: Brandon Ingram
Sorry folks — no LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard here.
The Lakers went out and got George to inject some star power into the lineup. However, instead of spending the remainder of their cap space on an aging LeBron or trading away too much talent for Kawhi, they decide to keep the band together (more on that later).
We saw Brandon Ingram take a huge step forward as a sophomore. There were some concerns after his rookie season that he was headed down the path towards Bust Town. However, based on what he did in 2017-18, it’s safe to say he’s quelled those concerns.
The improvement was obvious across the board. The former No. 2 overall pick scored more (17.3 points per 36, up from 11.7), rebounded better (5.7 rebounds per 36, up from 5.0), shared the ball better (4.2 assists per 36, up from 2.6) and shot better (47 percent from the field, up from 40.2). Ingram even developed a 3-point shot, seeing an almost 10 percent increase from downtown.
Brandon Ingram shooting 10-for-14 from 3 over his last 4 games, up to 39.3% on the year. Small sample but increased confidence. Shooting on the hop more than ever. Was a shot-maker at a young age. Lifetime 34.8% from 3 on 660 attempts (via DX database) https://t.co/5roX7mpIhq pic.twitter.com/mvPPPMObAc
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) February 12, 2018
Put simply, the kid is as advertised. There’s a reason he got the “untouchable” designation last offseason.
Now, Ingram settles back in as the starting small forward, using his impressive mix of dribble-and-drive skills, efficient shooting and ridiculous length to make an impact on both sides of the court. If he stays on his current trajectory, we’ll be considering him a star by the end of next season.