They may have the best player in the world, but if the Los Angeles Lakers are to make the playoffs, Brandon Ingram has to rise to the challenge.
Heading into the second half of this season, the Los Angeles Lakers would have 25 games to leapfrog two other postseason-hopefuls in order to nab that eighth spot in the conference. As it usually does, the burden fell on the shoulders of LeBron James, who announced the activation of his playoff-level intensity prior to Thursday night’s game against the Houston Rockets.
James would finish the night with his usual near triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, but it was Brandon Ingram who surprised everyone with a breakout performance of 27 points and 13 rebounds, helping LA comeback from being down 19 points to win 111-106.
It was a great win for the Lakers, but an even better one given the contributions from one of the young guns. After so much turnover and turmoil everywhere they looked, maybe this game could serve as a precursor for one of LA’s most polarizing players.
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1098955613609054208
The 2018-19 NBA season has been an interesting one for Ingram. Entering his all-important third season in the league, the former No. 2 overall pick was expected to take another leap towards stardom, serving as the co-star to James and justifying the front office’s decision to make him untouchable in trade talks the summer prior.
Early on, Ingram found it difficult to co-exist with LA’s newest megastar. A lanky 6-9 penetrator and shot creator, Ingram had proven best with the ball in his hands early on in his career, and being pushed off the ball more to make room for James was something he had a tough time adjusting to.
A four-game suspension in only the second game of the season certainly didn’t help, as it took away valuable playing time that could’ve been spent building chemistry on the court. Neither did the constant lineup experimenting coach Luke Walton did on a nightly basis. Athletes are creatures of habit, and messing with it isn’t always the best idea, especially in the case of a 21-year-old.
When LeBron sat out over a month rehabilitating his strained left groin, the Lakers youngsters, and specifically Ingram, would be given full reign of the offense and the ability to show just exactly what they could do.
During those 18 games, Ingram played well, averaging 18.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but his team flopped hard, posting a record of just 6-12 including brutal home losses to the likes of the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Suddenly, LA’s young talent wasn’t looking so great, an issue that only became exacerbated in the games leading up to the All-Star break when James’ return yielded just two wins in six games, leading to the predicament the team currently finds itself in, hoping just to qualify for the postseason after some were thinking an appearance in the conference finals.
Believe it or not, there was a time where the NBA debate of the week was an argument over Ben Simmons vs. Brandon Ingram for the No. 1 pick in the 2016 Draft. It has since disappeared from existence, but its mere presence highlights an idea that Ingram still has the potential for greatness.
Similar to a certain reigning two-time Finals MVP, he’s got the length to get his shot up over just about anybody and slide around defenders to get to the rim. James will always dominate the ball, but he also always shown a willingness to defer to others.
As all-time as LeBron is, he can’t drag LA to the playoffs by himself at this stage in his career. Ingram’s always shown flashes of something more than what he is as a player, and now more than ever, the Lakers need that elevated level of play to keep their season alive.