Brandon Ingram blossomed in his first year with the New Orleans Pelicans, pushing his game to an All-Star level and approaching the potential that helped him get drafted No. 2 back in 2016.
On The Lowe Post podcast Monday, ESPN’s Zach Lowe and True Hoops’ David Thorpe discussed Ingram’s Most Improved Player candidacy.
Thorpe listed him as the No. 9 player on his list for the award.
“He did it for a team that was beat up,” Thorpe said. “As the season went on he became a legit scorer, a leader. He definitely contributed and competed on defense, and they were an interesting team had we been able to finish the season.”
In 56 games, Ingram averaged more than 24 points, six rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 38.7% from 3-point range.
“Every stat is up,” Lowe remarked, adding that Ingram attempted six 3-pointers per game, which was three times more than his career average prior to this season.
“That’s not fake, selective shooting.”
When rookie Zion Williamson was ready for game play, the two worked well together on the court.
Ingram’s stats dipped a bit, but he still posted more than 21 points, five rebounds and four assists per game and shot 36% from deep.
“I thought his integration with Zion was so smooth, and I didn’t necessarily think it was going to go that way because their starting lineup … is a little light on outside shooting,” Lowe said.
One reason Ingram wasn’t higher in Thorpe’s rankings was the sheer unexpected excellence of so many other players around the league.
Guys like Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte Divincenzo popped up out of nowhere to be important contributors for playoff teams.
Others like Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Dallas Mavericks wing Luka Doncic transformed from All-Star-caliber players to guys who look like they’ll be All-NBA stalwarts.
Lowe said he hadn’t put together a numbered list of his own, but would consider ranking Ingram higher.
“I haven’t ranked my guys … so I don’t know if he’s going to make my top three,” Lowe said. “But he’s a very, very strong candidate for this award to win it outright.”
With that said — Lowe wants to see more from Ingram. What he wants to see, he’s not quite sure:
“There is something, and I don’t know what it is … There is something with Ingram because he’s coming up in my All- NBA research. There is something that just leaves me a little bit wanting. Like, something that just in my gut is like, I’m not sure he’s quite as good as his numbers, and quite as good as his peers that have similar numbers.
I don’t know if it’s just like his play making and defense are just a little bit behind, to me, his statistics and his overall profile in ways that I think are going to be hard for me to quantify and prove.
But there’s just something I feel watching him, where I’m like he’s good, he’s really good, he was an All-Star and I thought he deserved it — I’m not sure he’s at “that guy” level yet and I can’t quite put my finger on why.”
Thorpe thinks it’s because we haven’t seen Ingram be “that guy” yet. It’s only been 56 games of phenomenal play.
They want to see it for longer and in more important scenarios than the first 64 games of the season.
“Where is (Ingram) down the stretch? We could be getting those answers right now, Zach, right?” Thorpe said.
“Last couple weeks of the season — is he putting up big numbers in big games when teams are sending most their defensive resources to keep Zion from getting 11 dunks a game? If he does that I think that answers the question you have … Hopefully we’ll know next year.”
[lawrence-related id=21521,21461,21455]