NBA: Ranking all 30 starting small forwards for 2018-19

8. Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers

People aren’t talking enough about the leaps-and-bounds improvements Brandon Ingram made in his second season compared to his disappointing rookie year. He didn’t quite enter star territory, but his numbers shot up across the board to 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 47 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

With LeBron James in town, the pressure is on for the young Los Angeles Lakers to step up, but you can expect Ingram to be one of the first to answer the bell. He improved his 3-point stroke, ball-handling, passing and rebounding in year two, and this 20-year-old is just getting started.

Playing with the King brings a whole new set of expectations, which could be a lot to handle for a third-year wing who’s already facing the pressure of having the highest ceiling among L.A.’s youngsters. Still, playing with LeBron should make Ingram’s job — and overall development — easier, even if he won’t be undergoing the trial by fire many were looking forward to seeing him embrace.