Brandon Ingram is known for his midrange scoring ability, but in the last two seasons, his playmaking has become one of the best parts about his game.
Ingram seems to have a mental map of where his teammates are located. He can deliver strikes with either hand from a variety of angles. At 6-foot-9, Ingram also has the advantage of being able to see over the tops of defenses.
It hardly seemed hyperbolic in the spring when Trey Murphy said he considers Ingram one of the NBA’s best passing wings.
In March, Ingram had two triple-doubles one week apart after never recording one in his first six years in the NBA. His all-around game continued to expand. And yet, questions about Ingram’s ability to hold up as a franchise pillar lingered.
Ingram has had an availability problem in the last two years, a stretch in which he has missed almost 40% of the New Orleans Pelicans’ regular-season games. This season, Ingram played in a career-low 45 games.
On Nov. 25, Ingram kicked the back of Memphis Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks’ foot. Ingram was diagnosed with a left toe contusion. Two days after the injury occurred, Pelicans coach Willie Green said, “structurally, everything is fine with Brandon.”
“Just a contusion,” Green said. “He’ll be day-to-day.”
Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months. Ingram did not play again until Jan. 25. He missed 29 straight games.
In January, The Times-Picayune reported that Ingram’s extended absence caused frustration within the Pelicans organization. There was a feeling among certain team staff members and players that Ingram was physically capable of returning to the floor much sooner than he did.
Ingram said during his two-month absence that his toe injury made it uncomfortable for him to push off his left foot. He said he still felt pain in his toe after returning to the floor in late January.
It remains unclear how Ingram and star running mate Zion Williamson will be able to jell. They have played 10 games together since Green became the New Orleans coach in July 2021.
“It’s important to have your guys on the floor,” Green said. “I don’t know if that’s the central issue. But it’s definitely important. It helps your team reach its potential. We didn’t do that this season.’’
The low point of the Pelicans’ season came March 17 in a road loss to the lowly Houston Rockets. That dropped the Pelicans to four games under .500. From that point on, Ingram put the Pelicans on his back and carried them to the play-in tournament, averaging 28.6 points, 7.5 free-throw attempts and 8.1 assists in the final 14 games of the regular season.
Ingram has All-NBA talent. His issue is sustaining those excellent stretches for long. His last two seasons have been disrupted by — depending on how you view it — injuries or Ingram’s unwillingness to play through minor discomfort. What’s clear is the Pelicans need him and Williamson on the floor more often if they’re going to make progress.
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