Brandon Ingram Discussion: He Is Who We Thought He Could Be

20-4-4 seasons from Lakers?
Kobe 15
West 13
Baylor 8
Kareem 4
Goodrich 4
Magic 4
Wilt 4
Jim Price 1
Byron...Scott... 1

 

Durant and Ingram are different players, go about the game differently, and Durant didn't come into the NBA in a different situation.

As of today, Simmons is definitely more NBA ready from a physical standpoint. He's bigger, stronger, more explosive, more athletic. He's got the kind of body that can really excel absorbing contact. For that matter Jaylen Brown is a bit more NBA ready as far as playing tomorrow.

It's not an insult to Ingram, just the truth. In a year or two as Ingram fills out, gets stronger, and adjusts to the physicality of the NBA he'll really take off. In the meantime, we could have a situation like last season where Russell excelled really despite his physical limitations because of how skilled he is. Ingram will absolutely still make an impact this season. He'll still help us win more games and he'll still show great growth. The entire reason Simmons got drafted first though is how well he profiles into an NBA player on Day One. If Ingram was a little bigger and stronger he'd have been the #1 pick. It'll take probably 2-3 years before he hits his stride and starts becoming the player we want him to be. Until then, he should still provide a lot great moments for us.

 

Who's going to shadow Simmons? He'll torch teams in transition. He will have an impact immediately. I love Ingram, and I'd rather have him than Simmons, but Simmons may well be better their first couple seasons. I'm in with Ingram for the long haul.

 

How is this even a question. NBA ready doesn't mean more talented, more skilled, more potential, or anything like that. All it means is ready for playing against bigger, stronger men than you have before, longer 3 point line, taking the punishment of a longer season, stuff like that. Simmons is more NBA ready than Ingram if only because of size (and maybe age, Ingram is 18, Simmons will turn 20 soon), that's all it takes. One guy weighs 195 (maybe), the other guy weighs 240 and looks like this



Whose body is more ready to take an NBA beating? Come on now, I wanted Ingram, but let's be objective on this point here, let's look at reality, not through Laker-colored glasses.

 

He's got a beautiful body, man.
He's an all the way big dude.

 

The similarities to Durant really are mostly physical. They play very different styles of basketball, that's the point I'm making. If you expect Ingram to come in and average 20/4/2 in 80 games in the NBA then you're expecting way too much from him. Ingram does not have the same scoring mentality that Durant did. It's evident in really all his numbers in college. Ingram is more about the team and making winning plays than necessarily scoring the ball every possession like KD is. Ingram is more likely to be a 15/6/3 guy than a 20/4/2 guy in his rookie year. As for Curry, Kobe, and Nash that's extraordinarily lofty expectations. You just named 3 Hall of Fame players. By the way those guys coming into the league? Only Steph Curry was really impactful and he was a 17/4/6 guy. Nash and Kobe barely played at all as rookies.

Because he's a ridiculous athlete. Simmons at the combine was tested as faster than Jordan Clarkson and quicker in the key than Julius Randle. He's a ludicrous athlete, ball handler, and passer. He may not have the all around talent that Ingram does, but what Simmons can do, he does at an elite level. You used Steph Curry as an example earlier well Steph Curry's #1 attribute is his shooting. Sure he also can handle the ball and passes well, but as we saw in the Finals if he's not making his shots he's not effective. Steph is so effective as a shooter though that he won back-to-back MVPs. Think of Simmons's athleticism and size as Steph Curry's shooting: it's an elite talent that will open up the rest of his game. In the fast break there's probably not a single person in the NBA that can stop him. He'll make a big impact right away.

It's not a slight at Ingram. Ingram's path to stardom was always going to be harder because while he is incredible gifted and skilled, he wasn't given the same gifts and skills as guys like Simmons. It's what gives him an edge. Kobe was the same way.

 

Not yet. He likes #13 but that's been retired already so he'll have to pick something else.

 

I love Coach K's statement.

“The Los Angeles Lakers are getting both a great player and a great person in Brandon Ingram,” Krzyzewski said. “Brandon was a special player this year at Duke, and his best basketball is still ahead of him. I have absolutely loved coaching Brandon because he is a no-maintenance player who loves and respects the game. He is also a creative and thoughtful young man who comes from a beautiful family. I’m excited to watch his promising career with the Lakers get under way. Brandon will continue to get better and better. I’m proud that he’ll always be a member of the Duke basketball family.”