Los Angeles Lakers: 3 goals for Brandon Ingram in 2018-19

1. Reach the playoffs

For Ingram, he knows nothing else but the regular season. The Lakers have failed to make the playoffs for five years straight now, but it wasn’t always like this in Laker Land.

Newest Lakers James, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee will do their best to make sure that changes this season, and Ingram is going to flourish as he tags along for the ride.

A first-time playoff appearance will be just that for Ingram, a tag-along, because despite how successful of a year he is positioned to have, it will be his first experience in the NBA postseason.

However, just because No. 23 is in town doesn’t equate to an automatic playoff berth. Head coach Luke Walton still has a lot of kinks to work out, including Ingram’s role on both sides of the ball, not to mention a loaded Western Conference.

James is expected to get a ton of rest this season and will likely miss some games. In those instances, Ingram will still have to step back into the alpha role, being relied upon to score and defend the opposing team’s power forward or center, depending on the Lakers’ lineup.

If things go according to plan, Los Angeles should make the playoffs, and Ingram will get the chance to go through the growing pains that all successful players have gone through. Having veteran leaders to advise him will only hasten the process for this young up-and-comer. If the Lakers make the playoffs and Ingram gets a taste of winning, the sky is the limit for him.