Ball Durham
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Duke in the NBA: Brandon Ingram set to thrive under guidance of ‘King’

By Kevin Connelly

EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 25: Brandon Ingram of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a pass during a Los Angeles Lakers practice session at the UCLA Health Training Center on September 25, 2018 in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 25: Brandon Ingram of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a pass during a Los Angeles Lakers practice session at the UCLA Health Training Center on September 25, 2018 in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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He is quickly becoming one of the more experience Duke Basketball players in the NBA, but Brandon Ingram is poised to build off of his best NBA season yet.

Wherever you stand on the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate doesn’t matter, but there’s no debating that LeBron James is one of the best basketball players to ever play the game.

James has the unique ability to make his teammates better and he will try to do that again as he is set for his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Last season the Lakers were a fun and energetic group to watch led by former Blue Devil Brandon Ingram. After a rocky rookie season where Ingram only averaged 9.4 points per game, shooting 40.2% from the floor and 29.4% from three point range.

Ingram quickly adjusted to the speed and physicality and went to work in the offseason that paid off last year as he bumped his points per game average to 16.1, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 3.9 assists.

The Kingston, North Carolina native was also much more efficient as he shot  47.0% from the floor and 39.0% from deep.

Enter ‘King James’.

With the addition of LeBron James, the offense will open up much more for the young Lakers stars and they should take advantage of it.

The key for the Lakers is that James can play every single position of the floor, so if he is bringing the ball up as the point guard, defenses will try and collapse the paint to try and stop James from getting to the whole, he can dish the ball out to Ingram or Kyle Kuzma.

On the other hand, if James is posted up down low, the defense will be sure to try and double team him on the low post block, which opens up driving lanes for the six-foot-nine-inch Duke product.

James is the only player on the Lakers that has the ability to get the best out of every single player that steps on the floor with him, apologies to Lonzo and Lavar Ball

While Ingram’s points per game average might take a dip due to the scoring talent of James and those around him, expect Ingram to become much more efficient on the floor and emerge as a key second scoring option for the Lakers behind LeBron James in the 2018-19 season.

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