Brandon Ingram's Reawakening: After putting up All-Star numbers, can the New Orleans Pelicans forward learn to impact winning?
Despite having two All-Star caliber players in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the 2021-22 season could be a make-or-break one for the New Orleans Pelicans pair. Ingram, who is celebrating his 24th birthday today, will hope he can inspire his team to a return to the postseason, and be a reason for Williamson to stick around.
In a breakout campaign in his first year with the Pels, Ingram won the Most Improved Player award, and was called up to the All-Star game. But his defense regressed last season, and his performances failed to lead his team to a winning record. The Pelicans finished 11th in the West, missing out on the play-in tournament after losing their final four regular-season games.
Some of the blame for that can be put on head coach Stan Van Gundy, who has since been sacked. But Brandon Ingram will look to make a breakthrough as a player for the Pels. His numbers need to translate into wins if the New Orleans Pelicans are to be successful this season.
How Brandon Ingram could contribute to a winning record for the New Orleans Pelicans
The 2019-20 season was what many New Orleans Pelicans fans thought would be a new beginning for the team. That's because they acquired Zion Williamson, one of the most highly sought-after draft picks in NBA history, first overall and traded for both Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. Although Anthony Davis left in the process, there was widespread belief the team could be back among the Western Conference playoff places.
However, in the last two campaigns, the Pelicans have won less than 43% of games. Granted, Williamson missed most of the 2019-20 campaign. But the team have had inconsistent form, and were woeful in defense last year, something usually not associated with Stan Van Gundy's teams.
Nevertheless, they should have been successful with a player who can consistently score 20+ points per game. Williamson has done that for all but one of the New Orleans Pelicans' last 41 contests. This is where Brandon Ingram comes in.
No other player in the Pelicans roster has the kind of superstar ability Ingram has. He can elevate Williamson and the team's trajectories simultaneously. If Ingram can become what Khris Middleton is to Giannis Antetokounmpo or what Klay Thompson was to Steph Curry, the Pelicans could reap rich dividends.
To do so, Brandon Ingram will need to address several areas of his game, though. First is his defense.
While Ingram is not to blamed for the New Orleans Pelicans' defensive struggles last season, he didn't help them as well. In fact, Ingram ranked fourth for defensive win shares among Pelicans players who played more than 40 games. He also gave up the most points in the paint to opponents, and had his joint-worst defensive box +/- (-1.4).
Since Ingram entered the NBA, he hasn't had a defensive rating below 109, registering a career-worst 116 this year. Due to his improvements in offense, averaging over 23 points per game in the last two campaigns, Ingram's box +/- has ended positively as opposed to his time with the LA Lakers.
Nevertheless, his length and athleticism should allow him to be a greater threat to opponents on the perimeter. But he currently averages 0.7 steals per game and 0.6 blocks. To make a greater impact with the New Orleans Pelicans, he will need to at least step up one of these aspects up. That looks likely to be steals, considering Zion Williamson's presence in the paint along with new arrival Jonas Valancuinas.
In offense, although Ingram has proven he can be a walking bucket, as he has been given greater responsibility, he has lacked consistency and effectiveness late in games. He has shot above 38% from the three during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans and at 46% from the field.
However, he has yet to see that translate into his team's win column. In fourth quarters last season, Ingram shot at 32% from the deep and 39% from the field, and had a +/- of -0.4, one of the worst on the Pels' roster.
Brandon Ingram shot below 40% from the field in 15 games, eight of which came against a bottom-ten defense, while 11 of them resulted in losses. Only four of those opponents made the playoffs. For every 36-point display against the LA Lakers, there was a 13-point one against the Minnesota Timberwolves that summed up Ingram's inconsistency.
In an era of player empowerment, the New Orleans Pelicans may not have much time left with the two stars playing alongside one another. Either they improve significantly, or Zion Williamson may force his way out.
To improve significantly, the Pels will look to Brandon Ingram to step up and play at an All-Star level. He has all the attributes to do so, as he is continuing to develop his game. He just needs to focus at the defensive end, and help Zion Williamson take over late in contests. Doing so should help the New Orleans Pelicans return to the NBA playoffs.