Brandon Ingram: Building His Skills to Fit Playoffs

Brandon Ingram is still building his repertoire of skills to fit the NBA Playoffs atmosphere.

Chris Dodson | Apr 17, 2022

Brandon Ingram: Building His Skills to Fit Playoffs /

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Brandon Ingram is finally getting a chance to make a name for himself on the NBA Playoffs stage. He might have All-Star on his resume but only postseason accolades matter much for the team-first star. However, he is still building his skill set to fit the playoff game and that means taking more shots from the perimeter.

Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and CJ McCollum are proven masters of the mid-range shot. Brandon Ingram is starting to be mentioned in the conversation for the most proficient mid-range practitioners in the NBA. However, he will need to stretch his game to the three-point line in the upcoming NBA Playoffs series against the Phoenix Suns. If not, Monty Williams will scheme a defense that shrinks the court on Ingram and make scoring difficult for the Pelicans' star.

As one scout shared at a recent game, "You make Ingram beat you from the outside before you allow him any space to get inside."

You can credit Ingram for his development and continued focus on pressuring the paint with his drives. During the middle of the season, that was a focus, but not having space to work would suffocate the New Orleans offense. McCollum and Trey Murphy III are outside threats, but Ingram has to create his own space to work.

It's been an area of Ingram's game that has needed work this season. Ingram is getting to the rim more, which helps him find open shooters. He is not getting those open shots for himself and has even passed up a few opportunities.

Ingram has to take his chances. McCollum and Ingram have made only four of their 14 combined three-point attempts during the NBA Play-In Tournament. Ingram missed both shots against San Antonio and did not pull the trigger from deep once in Los Angeles.

Ingram has only made two three-pointers total since March 7, 2022. He went 3/7 from beyond the arc in Denver on March 6, but a lack of shooting will be one area of the Suns' attack. Phoenix will look to shrink the floor around Ingram's drives.

Monty Williams will throw multiple looks at Ingram. First, Ingram will have to give Mikal Bridges enough trouble to warrant blitzes and double-teams. The old coaching adage states, "A great player makes others around them better." Once Ingram commands that much attention, he'll get the respect from the refs he deserves while dishing out open looks for the supporting cast.

The problem is Ingram has hit two more or three's in only five games since Christmas. He made 15 in the first five games of the season. He has made 29 of his 99 attempts since New Year's Day. It's a trend that might lead to several traps from the Suns. But Coach Green isn't worried and believes Ingram will figure it out.

After beating the Clippers to clinch an NBA Playoffs spot, Green said, "Brandon Ingram is the truth. He just brought it. He had that look in his eye from the time we got on the plane, shootaround. He's been locked in. He has been waiting for this moment, for this type of moment. His preparation is off the charts. This summer he went six, seven hours a day. He believes in his teammates. He's just all you want and more in a player, in a person."

Ingram admitted, "You know, these two games in the play-in I've been very locked in. Just trying to know everything about the other team. Figure out what they really do well. Trying to figure out how I can be effective on the offensive end. My approach is just trying to be the aggressor and trying to make sure that my team is -- our guys are being the aggressors on the offensive end and defensive end and just staying consistent throughout the game."

He will need to add a more consistent outside shot to his game, but his growth in this series will be a significant development to watch. A player's weakness will be exposed during the postseason and will become a top priority for Ingram to fix this offseason. Ingram is hoping to hit enough shots to prolong him from taking a well-earned vacation for keeping the season alive.

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Published Apr 17, 2022

CHRIS DODSON