3 Improvements Brandon Ingram must make to lead New Orleans Pelicans to the NBA Playoffs
Brandon Ingram has developed into a remarkable player since joining the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. He won the Most Improved Player in his first season in NOLA and also made his All-Star game debut.
Ingram has produced identical numbers in his first two seasons with the team. He has averaged around 24 points, five rebounds and five assists per game across 123 appearances.
The New Orleans Pelicans offered him a 5-year $158 million extension in the 2020 offseason. The move confirms that Brandon Ingram is one of the players New Orleans will be banking on to lead them to new heights. Helping the Pelicans qualify for the NBA Playoffs would be an exceptional achievement for Brandon Ingram.
As one of the team's leading players, Ingram will have to contribute to a great extent to make that happen. His game has developed, but there are a few areas that he needs to improve on to help his team get to the postseason.
Here are three things Brandon Ingram should do to help the New Orleans Pelicans make it to the NBA playoffs.
#3 Brandon Ingram should get to the free-throw line more often
Brandon Ingram has developed his shooting efficiency to a great extent since moving to the New Orleans Pelicans. He can attack the rim, shoot the 3-ball and also convert the majority of his attempts from the foul line with ease.
Last season, he shot around 46% from the field (18 attempts per game), 38% from the 3-point line (6 attempts per game) and 88% from the charity stripe (5.2 attempts per game). These numbers suggest that Ingram is indeed very comfortable when shooting the ball.
Brandon Ingram:
- Hits the free throw to put the Pelicans up 3
- Mouths "It's over. It's over. It's over."
- Receives faint MVP chants from the ~700 fans in attendance
- Ices the game with his second free throw https://t.co/IkT2IB6P7h
Keeping that in mind, Brandon Ingram should look to get to the free-throw line more often. He is a volume scorer, someone who largely impacts the game on the offensive end. Having shot more than 85% for the last two campaigns from the foul line, he needs to draw at least eight to ten shooting fouls per game.
That will see him rack up more points for his team overall. Those four or five extra points that he would add to his team's total would be crucial in games that are decided by fine margins.
#2 Brandon Ingram should improve his production
Brandon Ingram has averaged 23.8 points per game for two straight seasons. Meanwhile, he averaged 0.7 assists more than he did in the 2019-20 campaign, dishing out 4.9 assists per game. No doubt he has been exceptional with his consistent performances. But it's time for him to step up a level or two next season onwards.
Ingram should at least look to average 25+ points and 6+ assists to make a bigger impact for the New Orleans Pelicans. Having multiple players averaged 25+ points on the same team (Zion Williamson averaged 27 PPG last season) would make the Pelicans a feared outfit in the West.
Brandon Ingram is on fire right now 😳 #NBAXmas https://t.co/c4FJqIjtWI
Brandon Ingram, individually, will be even tougher to contain for opposing defenses. Considering the way he has worked on his game over the last couple of seasons, this is a very achievable target for Ingram.
#1 Brandon Ingram needs to work on his defense
The New Orleans Pelicans were the eighth-worst defensive team in the 2020-21 NBA season. They had a rating of 113.3. Their struggles on the defensive end have held them back from being a consistent team.
Brandon Ingram had a defensive rating of 114.2. last campaign. It was the second-worst on the Pelicans roster among players who had played at least 45 games. Ingram needs to use his 6'8" frame and 7'3" wingspan in the best way possible to be effective on defense.
He also needs to bulk up a little to have an advantage in matchups against heavier players than him. In his career, Brandon Ingram has managed only 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. It's something he can certainly be better at if he works on improving that skill.
With his size and speed, he can be effective defending on the interior or on the perimeter. The New Orleans Pelicans will benefit hugely if Brandon Ingram does manage to put in better defensive shifts than he has in previous seasons.