Lakers select Brandon Ingram with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft
NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Lakers have selected Brandon Ingram with the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and after Ben Simmons went No.1 to the Sixers, the choice didn't come as too much of a surprise.
Simmons and Ingram are largely believed to be on a tier of their own in terms of the talent available in this year's draft, so L.A. made the easy decision to take the player who Philadelphia passed up.
"I'm just very excited to be in this Lakers franchise now and just try to go in and impact this game in a different type of way and be the hardest worker on the floor," Ingram said.
The 6-9, 195-pound forward displayed an impressive overall skill set in his lone season at Duke, finishing with averages of 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds, while knocking down 41 percent of his looks from 3-point distance. Ingram has above-average ball-handling skills for a player his size, and showed a consistent ability to set up his teammates with passes that proved his excellent court vision.
Ingram also has an elite all-around offensive skill set for a player just 18 years old. He can score both inside and out, and is already capable of using hesitation moves and shot fakes to shake defenders, who are forced to stay close and respect his outside shot.
The only question about Ingram is how his slight frame will translate to the NBA early in his career. He talked about it after he worked out for the Lakers on June 9.
"The biggest challenge is being physical, I guess, developing weight and getting stronger," Ingram said, via the L.A. Times. "With my build, I'm just trying to get stronger, knowing that it's coming naturally. But it's trying to build everything I can before I get to the next level."
The Lakers hope Ingram will be a key core piece to add to a team that will be playing without Kobe Bryant for the first time in 20 years. They believe Ingram's offensive game is NBA-ready, and that his overall skill set will immediately fit well with the other young players on the roster. He has compared himself to players like Tayshaun Prince and Kevin Durant in the past.
"I grew up being a Kobe fan, of course, before I was a Kevin Durant fan," Ingram said. "My impression of Kobe is just his drive. Everyone talks about how he works out, his work ethic, and that's something that I eventually want to get to, of course, and just want to talk with him and try to learn what he did to try to be what he is today."
