Disappointing at the World Cup a month ago, Brandon Ingram does not have time to digest this personal and collective failure that he must take on another challenge: bringing the Pelicans back to the playoffs. After an exciting start to the season, the team had slipped in the standings after the (new) injury to Zion Williamson, but Brandon Ingram found himself more than ever in the mix with CJ McCollum slowed down by physical problems.
On a collective level, the Pelicans had given up, beaten at the end of the suspense by the Thunder in the play-in. But individually, the All-Star winger had raised his level of play to the point of signing two triple-doubles in one week. His first two in his career!
“We can put the ball in his hands, and he makes very good decisions” believes Willie Green. “He finds his teammates, and he has the ability to score. We want to explore that more this season. »
A luxury to take advantage of his qualities as a passer
Clearly, Brandon Ingram will be asked to create more, and CJ McCollum thinks he is perfectly capable of it. “He’s super tall and that makes things easier. He can see over the defense. He can score at three different levels (at the circle, at mid-distance and at 3-points). He loves playing from mid-distance. He has a good rhythm, a good feeling. He can change direction to unbalance the defense. And he’s smart.”
It’s the Ingram-Williamson duo that makes everyone in New Orleans dream. For their coach, if Brandon Ingram has the ball in hand, it will be very complicated for defenses to make choices.
“He makes the right reads. He knows when to pass, and where to pass. It’s a luxury” underlines Willie Green, who wants to increase the number of offensive entries. “ With the ball in Brandon’s hands, and Zion taking advantage of a step up, what will the defense do? And vice versa. If Zion has the ball in hand, it will be Brandon and CJ’s turn. We try to find different ways to attack. »
