Lakers: Which “Rising Star” is most likely to make an all-star team first?
By Jason Reed
1. Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram may not have had as big of a performance in the Rising Stars Challenge as Kyle Kuzma. Ingram may not be receiving the all-around buzz that both Kuzma and Ball receive. However, Ingram has shown a huge improvement in his game during his sophomore year, convincing even his harshest critic that he is on pace to be a superstar.
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I was not a big believer of Ingram after his rookie year. His thin frame hurt him from driving to the basket, something that made him so good in college. With a 29.4 percent three-point shot in his rookie year, Ingram seemed to be a one-dimensional scorer whose one dimension couldn’t succeed in the NBA.
I was proven wrong, and I will admit that. Of course, I knew that Ingram was just 19 years old last season. I knew that he would get better, but at the most, I thought he would be nothing more than a role player.
However, Ingram has shown more physicality this year in getting to the basket. Most importantly, his spot-up shooting has had a fantastic increase. His three-point shot is up to 38 percent. He is taken more shots, is taking smarter shots and the stats show that.
Ingram is nearly doubling his scoring from last season. Overall, Ingram is averaging 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. That is a significant jump from 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
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Circling back, the NBA loves scoring. NBA all-stars need to display a knack for scoring to get into the game. As Ingram progresses, and his team gets better, there is no reason he cannot be a 20 points per game scorer the rest of his career. I see Ingram aaveragingaround 22-23 points per game next year, earning him his first All-Star appearance.