Brandon Ingram is one of the best up-and-coming forwards in the game today. He showed that he is truly an elite player while Zion Williamson was out, bringing the New Orleans Pelicans to the playoffs despite dealing with insane defensive attention all season. During the playoffs, Brandon Ingram averaged 27.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 6.2 APG against the Phoenix Suns.
After getting a taste of the playoffs, it seems as though Brandon Ingram is more motivated than ever. On a recent episode of The CJ McCollum Show, Brandon Ingram revealed that his goal is to eventually be the best player in the world.
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Getting into the league and having experience, I was like “OK, I can play with these guys”. Then I’m like “I’m better than these guys”. Now I’m like, “I want to be the best player in the world”
There is no doubt that this is a lofty goal for Brandon Ingram. Though he is clearly an All-Star level player currently, he still has to show that he could do what he did in the playoffs over the course of an entire season to enter All-NBA and potentially MVP talks. Zion Williamson’s return should open up more space for Brandon Ingram to operate though, and we’ll see what Ingram’s production looks like next year. While he won’t necessarily be viewed as the best player in the world, it is quite possible that we see Brandon Ingram make an All-NBA team if the New Orleans Pelicans are a good team and he has solid numbers.
The New Orleans Pelicans Are A Sleeping Giant
There is no doubt that the New Orleans Pelicans are a team that could surprise many with how they perform in the upcoming season. Previously, Stephen A. Smith called the Pelicans “the No. 1 sleeper” in the league, adding that they “can end up in the Finals”.
“I have the New Orleans Pelicans as the No. 1 sleeper in the entire NBA. The Pelicans can end up in the Conference Finals, the Pelicans can end up in the Finals. They got a crew, they’re long, they’re athletic, they can get physical, they got shooters, they got athletes, and they got a whole bunch of heart. They ain’t scared of anybody, and they got young fresh legs. If Zion Williamson was healthy last year, they might have beaten Phoenix in the playoffs. If Zion Williamson stays healthy, I’m telling you right now, New Orleans is a huge threat, a huge threat,” Smith convincingly said.
Brandon Ingram performing at a high level will be crucial for the New Orleans Pelicans this season. He will need to be an All-NBA caliber player next to Zion Williamson for the team to truly make some noise in the Western Conference.
With that being said, it is clear that Brandon Ingram is up for the challenge, and has high standards for himself. Though it seems unlikely that he’ll end up being the best player in the world at this moment, it is understandable that Brandon Ingram is confident in himself after his recent showing in the playoffs.
