Brandon Ingram has been balling lately, and while those who follow the New Orleans Pelicans closely have known it for some time now, he now has the attention of the entire league.
On Monday, the NBA announced that Ingram was Week 23’s (March 19th through March 25th) Western Conference Player of the Week.
Over three games, Ingram averaged 31.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and ten assists on 52.5% field goal percentage from the floor. The Pelicans were 3-0 during this stretch.
Ladies and gentlemen, your Western Conference Player of the Week: @B_Ingram13 👏 pic.twitter.com/SCnd6QQayO
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 27, 2023
On the Eastern Conference side, the league nominated Boston Celtics’ forward Jaylen Brown. In three games, the All-Star averaged 31.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Coincidentally, his Celtics also were undefeated on the week (3-0).
With Zion Williamson missing 37 straight games (38 after tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers), the Pelicans have needed Ingram to help keep them afloat in the superstar’s absence. Clearly, based on the fact he received this award, he’s doing his part to do just that.
Since he returned from his own two-month hiatus (with a toe injury), Ingram has appeared in 22 games. In that time, he’s averaged 26 PPG/5.0 RPG/5.9 APG on 48% shooting from the floor, 35.2% three-point shooting, and 88.6% shooting from the free throw line.
Recently, he’s got the Pelicans playing the best they have since Williamson went down with a hamstring strain. The team has emerged victorious in four straight contests and currently holds sole possession of the eighth seed in the conference (for why this matters, check out this post here). Plus, they are only two games back from the fourth seed (currently held by the Phoenix Suns).
Ingram’s Player of the Week nomination marks the fourth time in his career he’s earned that honor, and the first time he’s done so this season. As for Brown, this is his third time earning a Player of the Week award and his first time since 2020.