Only 19 years old and 12 games into his NBA career, Brandon Ingram may be the Los Angeles Lakers' best defender and is becoming a crucial component to LA's finishing lineup.
"He's a winner. He really is," Lakers coach Luke Walton explained why he has been picking Ingram to finish games regularly. "We saw that early on, in training camp, in Summer League. He finds ways to win in drills. He's not afraid of the moment. He's got a great feel for the game. Defensively, he's getting a lot better defensively."
Only 12 games into the Lakers' season, Ingram plays a vital role on the best bench in the NBA, and his defense makes him a player the Lakers already look to close out games.
"Down the stretch of games, he's almost getting to the point where he's a lock down defender with that length and feel for the game and reed of what's happening," Walton continued singing Ingram's praises.
The coach added, "He's constantly proven and earned the trust to be out there at the end of games."
With Ingram's minutes increasing slightly, the Lakers have won six of their last eight games with the rookie playing a major role. However, the North Carolina native has not yet opened up his offensive game. While he has been playing increasingly as a point forward, Ingram is only averaging 5.5 field goal attempts per game, and 1.8 of those are three-point shots the offense tends to create when the ball swings.
"I'm not where I want to be right now," Ingram said after playing down the stretch and coming up with a couple big blocks to beat the Brooklyn Nets. "On the defensive end, I've gotten a lot better, but on the offensive end, I'm not where I want to be right now."
As a reminder, Ingram is still a 19-year-old kid growing into his body and only just beginning to scratch the surface of his NBA potential. Already, though, he's one of the Lakers' best defender.
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Walton emphasized that Ingram is well ahead of the curve: "For his age, playing one year of college basketball, the way he sees the game and the way he reacts when he's really engaged is pretty impressive."
