1 takeaway from each of the 5 NBA Christmas Day games

Brandon Ingram is getting a max contract

Given his season-long body of work to the point, this isn’t a revelation as much as it is a statement of near fact that continues to be validated with each passing game.

A majority of Brandon Ingram’s numbers during his first run with the New Orleans Pelicans are the best of his four-year career.

It hasn’t translated to much winning for the second-worst team in the Western Conference, but it’s a phenomenal next step for the former No. 2 overall pick who’s struggled living up to those expectations.

New Orleans’ battle with the Denver Nuggets wasn’t the headliner of Christmas Day. Ingram still went out and used the platform to his advantage with 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting and a career-high seven 3-pointers in a 112-100 victory.

Whereas many of his contemporaries were inking new deals before the season, the Pelicans were hesitant to offer Ingram an extension of any significance, and for good reason.

Aside from talent that had remained relatively dormant in Southern California, Ingram was forced out towards the end of last season due to a blood clot the organization wanted to make sure he had fully healed from.

With no lingering issues and career-best numbers across the board, both concerns have been answered to the extreme.

It might cut deeper into New Orleans’ pockets as a result, but the higher price tag is well worth the presence of an inevitable All-Star who makes the future for the Pelicans all the brighter.