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Los Angeles Lakers: Three expectations for LeBron James in year one

By Jason Reed

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attends a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attends a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James /

2. LeBron James will take Brandon Ingram under his wing and turn him into a star

Brandon Ingram is perhaps the young star with the highest ceiling on the Los Angeles Lakers. Ingram looks on pace to be an all-star in the very near future and has a ceiling of an All-NBA player in the next three to four years.

Ingram made pretty good progressions in year two despite missing 23 games with an injury. His scoring jumped to 16.1 points per game while also averaging 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists. With a 47 percent shooting percentage, Ingram really came into his own when it came to scoring the basketball.

Now, Ingram has an interesting dynamic that he did not have before in LeBron James. LeBron is not your prototypical veteran to bring in to teach a young rookie the ropes. He is the best player on the planet and has a lot of knowledge and knows what it takes to turn Ingram into a star.

This will be interesting to watch play out as well as LeBron has never really played that role in his career. Kyrie Irving was already past his prime, Andrew Wiggins got traded as soon as LeBron was announced and the young guys the Cavs brought in last season did not spend enough time with LeBron to really notice a change.

James now has at least three years with Ingram to take him under his wing on and off the court and turn him into the superstar he can be. Whether it is helping him get open looks on the court or teaching him training fundamentals off the courts, James is going to have a huge positive impact on Ingram’s career.