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

At this point, NO would be foolish to throw away BI's development in order to take a chance on Zion being able to supercede him. From what I have read they feel like Zion is not that kind of player who needs to ball in his hands all the time in order to be effective. They need to find a way to get these two guys to mesh. I see BI as becoming elite in this league. When he learns how to be a true force on defense, watch out. I think he will too. We are going to look back and wish we could have kept him. That being said, Davis is the real deal already and will only continue to get better. Even with BI advancing to an elite level, I still trade him for AD without question.

 

ALl it means is it was a good trade for both teams - much like the Pau deal years back. We won 2 chips, and Memphis got a playoff team for years on end from opening up cap space to sign Z-Bo and getting Marc Gasol in the deal.

I do agree that Zion needs to find a way to fit with Ingram rather than other way around - Ingram/Zion is their future and if any of the other young pups break out (Zo, Hayes, NAW, Hart), it's just the cherry on top. Not sure where Holiday fits in here if I'm being honest...maybe throw him our way?

 

Yeah we all knew how good Ingram was going to be and it's reassuring to see him flourish. Too bad his timeline didn't coincide with our's. We had to go after the finished product in AD. And like others, I felt Ingram's game was too similar to Lebron for him to succeed here. He needs the ball in his hands (just like Dlo) to put up big numbers. Taking it out of his hands would kill his production, whereas AD can still put up 30/10 playing Robin.

It was a great trade for both sides, imo.

 

Honestly, if Lebron kept feeding BI like he feeds, AD, then BI would probably have the production here that he is having there. The real problem would be him finding the time and games needed to establish himself. This is where Kuzma has been more a fit for us because he has basically been able to find his niche within the flow of the game. Doesn't need for the offense to run through him or to be the main target for Lebron. From there, you earn it. I am betting that Lebron is going to be finding Kuz, more and more as the season goes on. That would have been the same with BI too, but like everyone says, BI is still going to be at his best when he controls the ball.

 

*crickets*

 

AD wasn't winning either until he was teamed up with LBJ.

Apparently people have forgotten that the kids were 3rd in the Western conference with LBJ until he tore his groin...and that included Ingram getting suspended for swinging at CP3 and then getting hurt for 7 games, Rondo getting suspended... having to play with Beasley grieving over his mother's illness... having to play with random Lance and fossilized Tyson.

Imagine if you replaced Dwight with Tyson... Took Danny Green and Avery Bradley and our fleet of shooters and replaced them with Lance and Beasley and untested rookies... what do you think we might be? Maybe third in the West?

It's comical how every time the kids do something good people have come up with this theory that they wouldn't have done it here. We don't know what would happen but chances are if they are succeeding somewhere else then they would have probably succeeded here as well.

AD is a great player, but the Pels won 44% of their games over 7 years... and the year before LBJ came, our kids won 43% of their games.
Difference was that Ingram and Zo were 20... Hart and Kuz were 22 year old rookies... Julius was 23... Zu was 20

And they still were only 1% behind AD's career winning percentage at New Orleans.

The kids can't win people determined at the age of 20 years old... did the same the following year when BI and Zo were 21.

They'll never be as good as AD.

And you know what, individually probably not.

But BI is already trending as a better scorer. With Jrue out, Zo is becoming close to his triple double machine potential, putting up double figures in assists again. Hart is at a career high in shooting efficiency and rebounding even though his 3 point shooting has gone ice cold recently. Who knows which player we would have taken at #4 but chances are they also would have been a good player.

And people were saying only a few days ago they wanted to trade Kuzma or would have thrown him in the AD trade.

You all can disagree with me about the heavy price we paid... but at least recognize as the kids improve that maybe some of us had a point about spending too much instead of doubling down as our kids flourish and saying it was never going to happen.

We don't even go downhill when AD is gone. Obviously winning three or four games without him is most likely a fluke, but I think it emphasizes that it's LBJ that is the main factor in determining our championship success.

AD was 44% for 7 years

The kids were 43% at the age of 20. They were 3rd in the West at the age of 21 playing with LBJ and Lance and Beasley... instead of Danny Green, Dwight, Avery Bradley and shooters.

 

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, but we won that trade already, full stop. You can't just ignore the domino effect that the AD trade created. We wouldn't have such a complete team with the kids because "Danny, Avery, Dwight, and shooters" wouldn't have joined us. We are a legit title contender this year, and honestly, anything short of that (3rd in the West?) means squat. We might as well be tanking if we have no shot of winning it all.

And this notion that the rise of Ingram is
somehow threatening the legitimacy of the trade? That's just a weird take, man. It's certainly a good sign for the Pels, but it takes nothing away with the fact that we have Anthony freakin Davis on our team. Oh yeah, we have the best record in the West too. There's absolutely no way we lose the trade, even if Ingram develops into KD next year. Maybe we can sign him back after we win a couple of titles, but like I said earlier, his timeline didn't coincide with our's. Just let it go, man.

 

You can disagree with the philosophy intellectually and still root for your team.

I can see the benefit from having AD... it's clear the results have been good this season, and I am enjoying the winning.

Where I must continue to protest is when people categorically proclaim because it had a good result, that there are not alternate scenarios that might be superior in the long run.

The point of my post is that the kids would have probably thrived with these signings and continued to improve. Whether they would have the same success isn't a foregone conclusion. Obviously most of you do not feel that way and I do respect that opinion when it is not stated as an absolute.

 

I'm like most Laker fans and want it all.

• Draft unsung talent
• Develop them into monsters on the court
• Sign the biggest free agents
• Lose none of your favorite players
• Win the championship while beating your least favorite teams in the process

Why is this too much to ask?

udleyshrug:

 

So you’re protesting the fact that many aren’t considering hypothetical alternate realities to the AD trade? I’m protesting the fact that this is a non-stop discussion because one person insists the rest of the board change their minds and give in to these alternate realities.

 

I love Ingram as a player but I totally agree with your comment. I make that trade every time it is available, even knowing that BI could be a top 5 forward in the league.

 

well, one of them was. he was the centerpiece is a deal for a perennial all nba player in the early part of his prime.

the other was dumped for space and late 1sts, and i'm still mad about it.

 

career high 44 pts tonight and the GW to beat utah

pels better pay him this offseason

 

Ingram scored career high 49 points vs Utah and pelicans ended Utah's winning streak

 

too bad he missed that free throw at the end, almost 50...