The New Orleans Pelicans dropped a close game to the Denver Nuggets, following a season-long trend of blowing double-digit leads.
Zion Williamson was spectacular once again, setting a new career high with 39 points, adding ten rebounds and five assists to one of his best games as a professional.
Brandon Ingram had a tough night shooting, scoring just 13 points on 17 shots, which happens from time to time, even for the NBA’s elite scorers.
I am not one of the fans who overreacts to one bad game and I am definitely not one of the people who think that Ingram is not a good fit with Zion or that they should trade him.
That’s just silly, as Ingram is 23-years-old and already one of the best pure scorers in the NBA. When Ingram is on he is nearly unstoppable as a scorer, but when it isn’t? He doesn’t always do much else, which has to change.
New Orleans Pelicans: Brandon Ingram needs to find other ways to contribute
Every scorer has off nights but Ingram is getting paid like a superstar, so he needs to find ways to contribute when his shots aren’t falling.
Ingram’s defense has long been the subject of scrutiny but he only had five assists and three rebounds against the Nuggets and those are things that he can improve, especially on nights when he is not scoring.
Ingram needs to make more plays for teammates and to use his 7-foot-4 wingspan to disrupt passing lanes, block shots and grab defensive rebounds.
Great players recognize when their shot is off and get after it in other ways, which is something Ingram really doesn’t do.
He could be an elite rebounder and an at least average defender any night, as those are things that rely on hustle and will, not shooting touch which can come and go.
The New Orleans Pelicans’ margin for error is pretty small this year, especially with Lonzo Ball out, so they need more out of Ingram if they want to win the close ones.
This will be something to keep an eye on, as the Pelicans have committed to Ingram as part of the foundation of the franchise but they need him to play like a franchise guy even when he is having an off night offensively.