What this means, basically, is that the Pelicans might be on the threshold of witnessing Ingram evole into fully-fledged stardom. Coming into the 2023-2024 season, internal expectations in New Orleans of Ingram will be higher than those from a year before, exclusively due to the way he finished this year. The leap from Ingram might not look like much statistically, compared to where he used to be, but he took control of the game in way we've never seen from him before. In that period, he also got to the line 6.9 times per night, converting at a rate of 88.5%. Over the last 19 games of the season, Ingram averaged 27.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists, looking noticeably more in-control and assertive than ever before. Ingram became a pseudo point guard late in the season, and saw a significant increase in production with the ball more in his hands. This season, the 25-year-old averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists, while cashing on 39% of his three-pointers. Ingram has spent the last two seasons primarily alone, with Williamson having missed all but 29 games, and has thus been forced to evolve, and do more on his own accord. You might say Ingram is the counterweight to Williamson, both of them offering up a level of balance when they're each on the floor. Instead, he's a slithery shooter who will attack from outside and in, leveraging his jumper to open up driving lanes, and taking what the defense gives him. Ingram and his 200-pound frame isn't as physical as the 285-pound Williamson, nor is he as explosive, or as dynamic near the rim. Next to him is Brandon Ingram, and this is where the conversation adds a significant layer. For a scorer that potent, Williamson is surprisingly unselfish, and extremely willing to work within an offensive scheme. He'll even run the ball up the floor and initiate actions, even if the end-result is a score for himself. He may not be Nikola Jokić, but he's got a knack for playmaking, and reading defenses. Making matters even worse for opposing defenses is the fact that Williamson can be used as a passing hub.
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