Expectations are all over the place for the 2018-19 Los Angeles Lakers and that isn’t a surprise. On one hand, the Lakers just acquired the best player in the NBA in LeBron James and it makes sense that success would follow given his ridiculously impressive track record. On the other, Los Angeles clearly placed a priority on long-term flexibility by signing veterans to one-year contracts and, even with an intriguing crop of young talent already on board, the roster doesn’t scream “title contender” from the rooftops.
With that in mind, James doesn’t have any stated expectations for this squad, even while refusing to acknowledge that his considerable prime might be coming to an end in the near future. Part of that reserved optimism could apparently come from the presence of Brandon Ingram, at least according to Chris Broussard of FOX Sports.
On the air this week, Broussard indicated that “people close to LeBron” believe that Ingram could eventually play a “Scottie Pippen role” with the Lakers.
As Broussard acknowledges, this feels a bit lofty for Ingram, even while pointing to his considerable talent. It is always wise to keep one’s guard up when referencing sources close to individual players but Ingram does boast some point forward skills and his considerable length opens doors to a potentially devastating floor game.
All told, it is probably safe to assume that Ingram won’t become the player that Pippen was because, well, Pippen is a top-50 player in the history of the league and on a short list of the best perimeter defenders of all-time. Still, the role for Ingram might include some offensive initiation if James elects to play more away from the ball and that, combined with his versatility, could paint a picture that resembles what Pippen could boast.
