Reporter Notes Brandon Ingram’s Struggles On Team USA

Over the last few years, Brandon Ingram has emerged as a star and one of the better scoring threats in the NBA.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward is one of the most skilled one-on-one players around, and his ability to produce points in iso situations, as well as his long and slight build, reminds some of Kevin Durant.

He received an immense opportunity to grow and showcase his skills when he was named to Team USA’s roster for this year’s FIBA World Cup, but he has underperformed, at least thus far.

He has complained about his diminished role, and Will Guillory says that Ingram has “often looked lost,” per The Athletic via Legion Hoops.

The Athletic’s @WillGuillory on Brandon Ingram:

“Playing on a team with big names was supposed to provide an opportunity for Ingram to show he could impact the game in other ways beyond scoring. Instead, he’s often looked lost.” pic.twitter.com/nuoDjVkAZm

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 29, 2023

The No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Ingram showed promise in his first three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

But the arrival of LeBron James may have held him back a bit, and he was sent packing in 2019 as part of the trade that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.

In the Big Easy, Ingram has found his basketball life to be quite, well, easy, as he has averaged no fewer than 22.7 points a game since arriving there.

This past season, he put up a career-high 24.7 points per contest while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 39.0 percent from 3-point range.

When healthy, the Pelicans have a team people feel can be a dark-horse contender in the Western Conference, but Ingram has appeared in just 100 games over the last two seasons.

Of course, New Orleans’ biggest injury concern surrounds Zion Williamson, the dazzling forward who simply hasn’t been able to remain healthy in his four NBA seasons.

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Former NBA Player Speaks Out Against Critics Of Zion Williamson