Pelicans: Here’s 14 things that defined Brandon Ingram’s first All-Star nod
By Willie Lutz
While it took him a few years to find his way in the NBA, Brandon Ingram put up a glowing first half for the New Orleans Pelicans and still has growing room.
It’s Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, and while that date might not mean that much to some, to Brandon Ingram, it marks his seemingly improbable first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game. While it’s a well-deserved nomination, the rode to this point certainly wasn’t smooth travels.
Going through a pretty wild ride through the first three years of his professional career, Ingram is finding his way in his fourth year, his first as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Fitting comfortably into the up-tempo, perimeter-centric offense run by head coach Alvin Gentry, Ingram has become a leading man in New Orleans, even with the return of Zion Williamson last month.
Despite all the positivity surrounding the Pelicans at the moment, a year ago, Ingram wasn’t a sought-after piece for what this team saw in its future (a future that didn’t have its sights set on Zion either).
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One year ago in New Orleans, basketball wasn’t such an exciting topic, as much of the hoop talk around the city didn’t go much further than the lament surrounding the Anthony Davis situation.
At the time, many were frustrated by the seeming inevitability that Davis would wind up on the Los Angeles Lakers, sending two relatively raw prospects and a rotation-level bench player onto the roster in addition to draft compensation in exchange for one of the league’s best talents.
In the eight months since, many who follow the Pelicans have fallen in love with all three of Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, and first-time All-Star Brandon Ingram.
While all three have are having nice premiere seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, Ingram is the one who’s stood out, as the team clearly trusts him about as much as Jrue Holiday with the rock in his hands.
It’s been an impressive season up to this point for Brandon Ingram so far, so let’s look at 14 things that made up the anatomy of his first All-Star nomination, representing the #14 he’s worn since his college days at Duke University.