Brandon Ingram has drawn comparisons to, and praise from, NBA demigod Kevin Durant. He, at times, has the look and feel of a younger Paul George. This is to say, he’s a multiposition wing who should be able to dominate both ends of the floor in due time.
Don’t take just anyone’s word for it, though. Here’s what one Eastern Conference had to say of Ingram after watching him during the Las Vegas Summer League, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner:
“I saw a good-looking prospect,” an Eastern Conference scout said of Ingram. “There were some games where he excelled, and there were some games where he struggled. But overall . . . he’s a matchup nightmare.
“You see a guy that can create his own shot. He has unrivaled length [for his position] with great ball skills. That’s a hard combination to find. I think the sky is the limit for him.”
Drawing similarities between Ingram and Durant and/or George is probably unfair to everyone involved—mostly Ingram. He doesn’t turn 19 until September; he’s just a baby.
It’s also unclear if he’ll be used in the same capacity as either of those guys. Ingram will be playing off the ball to start, ceding touches to the more rock-dominant Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell. That isn’t necessarily problem. Durant functioned alongside Russell Westbrook at a high level for years, and George didn’t even begin his career as a starter.
But if the Lakers develop Ingram as a three-and-D specialist because of how their roster is structured, that inherently curtails his ceiling.
Of course, it may only be a matter of time before they shift gears, if they haven’t already. At 6’9″, Ingram can play shooting guard, small forward and power forward. He has the court vision of a younger George, his shooting stroke is there and he can score of the bounce. If all of those on-court attributes translate to the NBA, it shouldn’t be long before he’s a star.
