Lakers: Comparing each young star to recent NBA All-Stars
By Jason Reed
Brandon Ingram — Joe Johnson (7x all-star)
This one is probably the shakiest comparison of the four but it was hard to find a player that fits the mold that Brandon Ingram is creating. Really, considering his length and body frame, Kevin Durant may be the most suitable comparison on paper. However, Durant was scoring 30 points a game in his second-year in the league, Ingram just is not on that level.
However, a guy he is more comparable to at least statistically is six-time a-star Joe Johnson. For Ingram, that is a fair comparison. Making seven all-star games is no joke and if Ingram can accomplish that feat than the Los Angeles Lakers would be more than happy.
Johnson did not really get going until his second year in the league and that is when the numbers between the two small forwards started to get similar. In his second year, Johnson averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. In his rookie year, Ingram averaged 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Johnson attempted 2.5 threes a game, Ingram 2.4.
In his third year in the league, Johnson averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Before being injured, Ingram was averaging 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
Johnson does not have the height that Ingram has and was a shooting guard early in his career. While Ingram is a small forward now, he fits the shooting guard mold and likely would move there if the team got LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard.
The play styles are different, but statistically, Johnson and Ingram are similar. If this progression continues, Ingram will be an all-star by his fifth season.