The campaign for Brandon Ingram to win Rookie of the Year should begin before the season starts because Brandon Ingram is showing signs that he can contribute at a high level before the start of the 2016-17 season.
On Wednesday in San Diego against the Golden State Warriors, a "super team" that played all its regular starters until the end of the game, Ingram finished the night as the Los Angeles Lakers' top scorer with 21 points, to go along with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Ingram, who only turned 19 in September, had a positive plus-minus statistic in 28 minutes against the Western Conference champions, after they added 2014 NBA M.V.P. Kevin Durant.
Despite Ingram's efforts, the Lakers lost due to awful starts to each half, as Lakers coach Luke Walton continued to work out whether to start Lou Williams or Jordan Clarkson alongside D'Angelo Russell in the backcourt. After two tries with Clarkson, Williams appears to be the better choice. Friday's game could be Clarkson's final chance to claim the starting spot, but Williams' leadership in the locker room also plays a role in the decision, along with his uncanny ability to consistently draw fouls in the act of shooting.
Ingram, however, will be coming off the bench and play behind Luol Deng. Deng is meant to be a veteran presence in the locker room and a versatile forward on the court. Due partly to design and partially to a sore calf, Deng has not featured a great deal during the preseason, so Ingram has enjoyed a significant chunk of NBA preseason basketball. And the minutes have helped.
"Brandon is further along as a basketball player than I would expect any kid coming out of college after one year," Walton said after Ingram's 21-point performance.
The most impressive aspect of Ingram's development in the preseason has been his clear improvement on both ends of the floor.
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Defensively, Ingram was already ahead of the curve due to his length and the fact that the game has changed to be more technical and less physical at the small forward position. The 19-year-old looks fluid and is a lanky, wiry ball player that should be able to contribute on the first day of the season.
A season ago, Trevor Ariza finished as the top non-guard in the steals category. Though Ingram likely won't play enough minutes to reach Ariza's 1.98 steals per game, he has the length and defensive desire to disrupt passing lanes and find his way onto that list when his minutes in the coming years.
"I think he's getting better at defense," Walton answered when NBCLA.com asked where the coach has seen the most improvement from the Lakers' no. 2 pick since he arrived at training camp. "There's so many differences between defenses in college and the NBA."
After listing the technical areas Ingram has improved defensively, Walton concluded, "On defense, I think he's made the most progress."
Offensively, Walton has been sporadically trying Ingram as a point forward for a couple of preseason games with notable success. Ingram finished the game in that role in Wednesday's loss to Golden State, and the young forward did not record any turnovers against Golden State's starting lineup.
Added to his unique understanding of the game, Ingram is a sharp shooter. He's not nervous with the ball in his hands, and the preseason allowed him a chance to settle in and get his timing. After missing all five of his shots in his preseason opener, the 19-year-old rookie-to-be made seven of his 10 shot attempts and two of his three-point attempts against Golden State on Wednesday.
Unlike most rookies requiring adjustment time with the NBA three-point line, Ingram has range for the NBA on opening night of the season.
"He's a much better shooter than his numbers have shown in the preseason," Walton said about Ingram. "He's a much better free throw shooter than his numbers have shown. He's a better passer."
Walton trailed off and added, "He's a solid, all-around basketball player for someone his age."
The preseason displayed healthy simple trends, as Ingram steadily improved in scoring and hit double-digits in his final two outings. Likewise, the former Duke Blue Devil's assists rose with him improving on those numbers in each of the final three games prior to Friday's preseason finale in Anaheim.
Ingram's positive play on the ball has now provided Walton the opportunity to drop both Marcelo Huertas and Jose Calderon out of the second unit, rather than pick one or the other, and push Nick Young into the second unit.
Young has been the biggest surprise of training camp and the preseason, as the former USC Trojan and Cleveland High School graduate has played himself into a rotation spot.
"[Young] is playing as well as anyone on our team, if not the best on our team, honestly," Walton said after San Diego's preseason game.
Since Young's play requires a spot in the rotation, the most logical outcome would be to utilize Ingram as a point forward on the second unit, with Young joining Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Tarik Black. Both Huertas and Calderon struggle on the defensive end, so as long as Young continues to play defense, he'll keep the crafty point guards off the court. As it stands, the Lakers' second unit is a far better defensive team with Young than without, which seems unbelievable but is actually accurate.
Also, Young has been on fire during preseason and in practice, so he needs to play.
Also, here's @NickSwagyPYoung's shot chart. LOOK AT IT. pic.twitter.com/IewrTq1MaU — Drew Garrison (@DrewGarrisonSBN) October 20, 2016
Ultimately, Ingram's ability to handle the ball and be a versatile point forward helps the Lakers accommodate Young into the rotation. Defensively, Young can guard shooting guards, while Clarkson can guard point guards.
The fact that a barely 19-year-old kid that has not yet even played a single NBA regular season game is already having such a major impact on LA's rotations speaks volumes to the special type of talent the Lakers have drafted.
Even before the season starts, the campaign for Ingram to win Rookie of the Year should begin because the impact he's having on the Lakers is noteworthy already.
On Friday, the Phoenix Suns arrive Orange County to play against Ingram and the Lakers in LA's final preseason game. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Pacific Time at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
