“Brandon Ingram is the closest thing I've seen to Kevin Durant” – NBA analyst asserts former all-star is unguardable and his game resembles Kevin Durant, says the playoff effort was intense from the star
As one of the best scorers in the NBA right now, New Orleans Pelicans' forward Brandon Ingram has been compared to great players in the past. Recently, ESPN's Brian Windhorst complimented Ingram by comparing him to Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant.
Brandon Ingram came into the league as one of the players with big potential. Selected as the second overall pick by the LA Lakers in 2016, Ingram drew a lot of attention. Even before making it to the NBA, he was already compared to Kevin Durant due to his slim body and ability to score from anywhere on the floor.
Now with the New Orleans Pelicans, Ingram is often looked upon as their leader. He proved that last season by leading the team to eighth seed in the West.
In his first playoff appearance against the Suns, Ingram averaged 27.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. He shot 47% from the field, including 40.5% from 3-point range. Ingram's performances allowed the Pelicans to stretch the series to six games.
Since this outing, NBA analyst Brian Windhorst has complimented Ingram on "The Hoop Collective" show. He said:
"Brandon Ingram is the closest thing I've seen to Kevin Durant. He's unguardable at times man, when he's got it going, he's unguardable."
Windhorst may be right about his comparison of the players. But for Ingram, he has to be a leader to be able to take the team to the next level. With help from CJ McCollum, the Pelicans could be a legitimate threat in the playoffs.
Brandon Ingram needs to be more efficient in making 3-pointers
Due to an injury, Ingram only played 55 games last season. This could be one reason why his 3-point percentage dropped. Last season, Ingram attempted less from the perimeter and shot worse. He shot 32.7% from long range. However, during his first two seasons with the Pelicans, he averaged over 38% from downtown.
That's a big drop for a player with his potential. However, he did improve his long range efficiency come playoff time and will be looking to take that into the new season.
Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson will be looking to lead the Pelicans to the playoffs again this season.