At the end of September 2021, former NBA star Jaylen Rose, one of the "Michigan Tigers," said that Zion and Ingram needed to lead the team to the playoffs to be worthy of the All-Star players, and even suggested that the Pelicans Twins learn from Morant. With that in mind, Ingram responded today, ushering in his first playoff trip into the league in six years. He had waited for a long time for this moment.
Played 43 minutes, 14-of-21, 2-of-4 from the free throw line, and had 30 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. For the first playoff of his career, Ingram fought, and the Pelicans fought up and down.
In the end, the last matchday of the 2022 playoffs, witnessed the difficult climbing journey of 2 teams. Both the Hawks and Pelicans started the season disastrously (the Hawks started 4-9 and the Pelicans started 1-12), but both now finish as No. 9 in the Division. Trey Young let Cleveland also ring out "Fark Blow Yang", while Ingram spat out his unhappiness and swept away his years of troubles. They all prove that the last laugh is the most beautiful.
The Pelicans have been through a lot this season. Zion's ability to play became a mystery at the beginning of the season, and the debate about him continued until yesterday. The Pelicans took over from the Blazers to McCollum in mid-season, and he became Ingram's right-hand man. But today, when McCollum didn't feel good, Ingram stepped forward.
From 2014 to 2019, the Lakers have won consecutive high-pick draft picks, including 3 places, and Ingram is one of them. Before this season, Russell in the eyes of the three charts has tasted the taste of the playoffs, and Randall, who was the seventh pick in 2014, also completed the playoffs experience last season. Among the several high-ranking rookies who remained in the Lakers (not counting DeAndre Hunter, who was sent away after the 2019 No. 4 pick and the draft), Ingram and Lonzo Ball still don't know what the playoffs are like.
This season, both of their teams are in the playoffs, and Ball, who is more than the season reimbursement, is fortunate that Ingram can at least step on the playoff stage.
Ingram, 24, was born on September 2, 1997 in Kingston, North Carolina. He comes from a basketball family, his father Donald played semi-professional league games, and he is a close friend of NBA star Jerry Starckhouse. Under the influence of his father and half-brother, Ingram came into contact with and fell in love with basketball at an early age. Starkhouse became the coach of the AAU team that Ingram played for, which made him practice solid basic skills.
After four seasons at Kingston High School, Ingram led the team to the state championship for four consecutive years. He was also named Mr. Basketball of North Carolina, named the best high school student in the United States, and was named a five-star high school student, ranking third among the 2015 class of high school students in the United States.
Coming to Duke with a halo, Ingram continued to thrive. In his one season at Duke, he played in 36 games, averaging 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2 assists per game, shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. He led the team to the Sweet 16, was named ACC Freshman of the Year, and was named to the division's Best Second Team and All-America Team. Ingram's total scores, three-point shooting, and 20+ single-game points for the season ranked 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd among all first-year freshmen in Duke history.
Not surprisingly, Ingram was selected by the Lakers with the second overall pick in 2016, when he was only 18 years old and the second youngest of the 2016 rookie class. In the rookie season, Ingram played 79 games and started 40 games, averaging 9.4 points, 4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, and was selected as the best rookie second team. In the second season of his career, Ingram quickly jumped, averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, shooting 47%. In the third season, he averaged 18+5+3 per game.
However, due to the Lakers' delay in returning to the playoffs, the controversy surrounding Ingram has gradually increased. They questioned Ingram's thin body, which limited his development on the offensive end and made him even more confused on the defensive end.
The bad stuff doesn't stop there. Ingram was involved in a lakers and Rockets on-field brawl, resulting in a four-game ban; he suffered from a deep veined blood clot in his arm, and even his NBA career was lit up with red lights; he was one of the protagonists of the deal when anthony Davis's deal rumors were flying around, and he was very upset about it. In addition, he is often caught up in the endless comparison of Tatum, who entered the NBA a year later than himself.
If you want to cut off all your troubles, you can only leave the past and start from scratch. In the 2019 offseason, Ingram was sent to the Pelicans along with Ball, Hart, etc., in exchange for the Lakers' long-cherished Davis. A year later, when the James team won a championship in a closed park for 10 years, Ingram could also claim that his 2019-20 season was not wasted.
In the Pelicans' first season, Ingram played in 62 games, averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He, who did not excel in three-pointers in the previous three seasons, also made a leap forward in this season, averaging 6.2 three-point shots per game (up to 2.4 in the first three seasons), shooting 39.1%, and the number of shots and shooting rates are still his career records. Despite still being held out of the playoffs, 2 individual honors arrived as scheduled, making him an All-Star for the first time and the player who improved the most. In the 2020 offseason, the Pelicans are also busy giving him a five-year 158 million fat contract.
Many people were excited by Ingram's performance, after all, he overcame the disease and dispelled doubts. At this time, Ingram has finally established his own status, and the only thing missing is the playoffs. At that time, Ingram did not expect that after playing the best season of his career, he would have to wait another 2 years before he saw the first playoff of his career belatedly.
Tagore once wrote in his poem: "The traveler has to knock at the door of each stranger to find his own door; man has to drift around outside to enter the deepest inner sanctum." "The wait is hard, but the harvest is sweet. In front of Ingram, a magnificent picture is slowly unfolding. (Supine Braces/Hairy)