New Orleans Pelicans: Should Brandon Ingram play at shooting guard?
By Tim Burke
The New Orleans Pelicans wing has almost repeated his all-star performance from last season. What would happen if Ingram were moved into a guard slot?
In the modern era of positionless basketball, the idea of simply changing what spot in the lineup a player takes can seem like a pointless exercise. What’s most important is what other players are in the lineup and how they can make the game easier for one another.
We know that Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are the two suns the rest of this roster will revolve around for the next decade at least. That means the constant question will be which players should be added to this roster to make the largest impact next to Zion and Ingram.
Also of importance: where do Zion and BI fit in your lineups? Head coach Stan Van Gundy has spoken often about how he views both as being responsible for playmaking in the half-court. Both have proven, at worst, to be capable in this department so far this season while constantly showing signs of growth.
Yes, the late-game situations can be frustrating but a team with this much offensive talent will only stumble for so long before they start figuring things out in the waning minutes of the game.
My question has more to do with the lineup combinations for the rest of this season. Should Brandon Ingram get moved to the shooting guard position?
The starting lineup as it’s currently constructed doesn’t really have a traditional two-guard in it. Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe are both two-way point guards and, while Lonzo has the size to defend guards and wings, neither provides the scoring punch typical from a shooting guard.
If Ball continues to play at his current level, he’ll be part of New Orleans’ long-term core. Ball’s three-point shooting and highlight factory vision along with plus defense give the Pels a complementary piece to their all-star duo.