NBA – As his team’s injury-plagued season takes an increasingly ominous turn, the winger must lead the way on and off the court to keep hopes of a playoffs alive.
The injury of Zion Williamson, from January 2, was particularly brutal for New Orleans, and the physical glitches of Larry Nance Jr. and Jose Alvarado have recently added to the club’s pile of worries. Without forgetting that CJ McCollum holds his place by also being physically weakened…
In short, the Pelicans have been in very great difficulty for three months now, and now find themselves in a complex position since their continued decline since the change of year obviously has consequences for their ranking: only 12th place in the western conference.
« As long as I still have hope, I know these guys will have hope too. »
There is indeed one last hope of saving the season: Brandon Ingram, author of these words. Himself plagued by physical problems at the start of the season – an injury to the big toe of his left foot at the end of November which will cost him 28 games of absence – the lanky winger had returned at the end of the month of January, and has continued to gain momentum ever since.
« I know I have a big responsibility, to make sure everyone keeps their heads to the grindstone and plays with a sense of urgency on this home stretch. » he assured recently, aware of his status as the club’s last hope in the quest for the “play-in”, and perhaps the playoffs. ” Everyone must be ready, me first, I must lead by example. Because now we have to play our best basketball until the end. »
The obvious leader of a band of Pelicans who have been seriously floundering for several weeks, “BI” is on a rescue mission. And he has the full support of his still in-form teammates.
« It’s very easy to rally behind a guy like Brandon. He works hard without making waves, he always thinks of the team first. He just wants to win games for the team. Personally, I’m ready to join this guy in any battle. said Herb Jones. ” He wants to take us to the promised land. And we can always be sure that he will then make the right decision when he has the leather in his hands.
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The only solution: bring your team
A leader by example in the privacy of the locker room, Brandon Ingram is also of course the boss on the field, as Herb Jones pointed out when discussing the correctness of these decisions.
For example, in his last ten games, the former Duke has exceeded 25 points seven times, for averages of 27.5 points at 50% success, including 41% from 3-pointers. For only three small victories, but CJ McCollum assures that it is nevertheless the only solution at this stage of the season…
« He knows we’re a totally different team when he’s always in attack mode, constantly putting pressure on the defense “Judged indeed the rear of the Pelicans. ” He’s been playing at a higher level lately, as he keeps his foot on the accelerator and never gives the defenses time to breathe. It’s hard for a defense to prepare knowing that a guy is going to attack you like that, especially with the technique and the precision with which he operates. »
And the main interested party to deliver his perspective, in this complicated period for his team.
« If you want to be big in this league, you have to know how to navigate the troubled waters, through the ups and downs. Injuries, losing streaks, media stories he concludes. ” The most important thing for me is to remain myself despite everything. [Mon équipe] must know what she can expect of me on a daily basis, and how I will approach each working day. If these guys trust me and let me play my game, it makes it easier for them to play theirs, and do what they have to do to put us in a position to win. »
| Brandon Ingram | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2016-17 | LAL | 79 | 29 | 40.2 | 29.4 | 62.1 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 9.4 |
| 2017-18 | LAL | 59 | 34 | 47.0 | 39.0 | 68.1 | 1.0 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 16.1 |
| 2018-19 | LAL | 52 | 34 | 49.7 | 33.0 | 67.5 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 18.3 |
| 2019-20 | NOP | 62 | 34 | 46.3 | 39.1 | 85.1 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 23.8 |
| 2020-21 | NOP | 61 | 34 | 46.6 | 38.1 | 87.8 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 23.8 |
| 2021-22 | NOP | 55 | 34 | 46.1 | 32.7 | 82.6 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 22.7 |
| 2022-23 | NOP | 29 | 33 | 46.5 | 39.0 | 86.9 | 0.4 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 23.3 |
| Total | 397 | 33 | 46.1 | 36.3 | 77.7 | 0.7 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 18.9 | |