Man, New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram can’t catch a break these days. The FIBA Basketball World Cup has not gone the way Ingram and the rest of us had hoped for him. And now, it looks like Bleacher Report no longer views Ingram has a top-25 player.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report released their top-100 list ahead of the 2023-24 season. In that edition of their player rankings, they had the Pelicans forward ranked 29th – just behind his co-star Zion Williamson (he was ranked 28th). Here is what they had to say about their decision:
"“The 2022-23 campaign was a tale of two seasons for Brandon Ingram. He missed most of the first half of the year with a big toe injury on his left foot, but he flashed superstar upside upon his return.”“In his 21 appearances after the All-Star Game, Ingram averaged 27.3 points on 49.9 percent shooting, 6.9 assists and 6.0 rebounds in 36.5 minutes per game. The Pelicans went only 11-10 over those games, although star forward Zion Williamson missed all of them with a hamstring injury, while CJ McCollum was playing through both a torn UCL in his right thumb and a torn labrum in his right shoulder.”“Whenever Williamson is healthy, Ingram figures to slide down to the Pelicans’ No. 2 scoring option. That makes his growth as a playmaker critical, especially since New Orleans doesn’t have a traditional, ball-dominant point guard in its starting lineup.”“Whenever the Pelicans decide to pivot off the Williamson-Ingram-McCollum core, Ingram’s contract—he’s owed only $33.8 million this year and $36.0 million in 2024-25—should make him an appealing trade chip. Until then, he should be in the All-Star mix moving forward if he can sustain his late-season production from last year.”"
To be fair, they do still acknowledge that Ingram will be in the All-Star mix next season. However, only 24 players can make the All-Star team. So, the fact that they have him outside of that means that they don’t think he will be one if all of the top players stay healthy.
Still, you can’t be too mad about Ingram’s placement on the list. You can only have so many players in your top-25 (25, to be exact). And with the league as talent-rich as it is right now, there was bound to be a few guys who didn’t make the cut. Hell, even former All-NBA point guard Trae Young was only ranked 30th by Bleacher Report (one spot behind Ingram).
In their 2022-23 list, Bleacher Report had Ingram listed 24. That means that he’s moved down five spots with his new ranking.