EL SEGUNDO – Brandon Ingram has identified the problem, and he’s addressing it.
Battling shooting slumps throughout his rookie season, the 19-year-old forward added extra shooting sessions before practice and before games with assistant coach Brian Keefe. Ingram also makes late-night visits to the
Lakers’ practice facility.
During those sessions, the Lakers coaching staff repeats a similar message.
“‘You’re not working for right now. You’re working for the future,’” Ingram said. “‘Everything we’re doing now will help in the long run.’”
Some of that work has already paid off. The Lakers (15-31) enter Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers (22-19) at Staples Center with Ingram averaging 11.1 points on 47 percent shooting through 10 games this month, a sharp increase from his season marks of 8.2 points and 37 percent shooting.
“If you put in the work, your numbers will get better,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “It’s that simple. He continues to put in the work.”
Walton has no plans to start Ingram other than for injury and rest purposes, but with Luol Deng (sprained right wrist) listed as questionable, Ingram might start for the second consecutive game. Starter or not, Ingram leads the Lakers in minutes (1,285) and averages a league-high 27.9 minutes per game among rookies.
While increased playing time has allowed Ingram to become more comfortable with his shot, it’s also correlated with increased efficiency.
“It’s been an adjustment with just floating around a little bit and being more aggressive,” Ingram said. “Coach has put me in the right position and I’m trying to thrive through it.”
Ingram is still passive sometimes. After airballing a shot in Tuesday’s loss to Denver, Ingram passed up a few open looks shortly afterward.
“I did mess up on not taking those open shots. But shooters keep shooting,” Ingram said. “I definitely need to keep shooting and trusting myself. My teammates and coaches are definitely telling me to stay with it.”
INJURY UPDATE
Any movement Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. made on the practice floor represented significant progress. After all, Nance has missed the past 16 games nursing a bone bruise in his left knee, meaning he could no longer leap for dunks and rebounds as he normally has done.
Despite completing practices on Wednesday and Thursday without any reported setbacks, Nance was not cleared to play against Indiana. The Lakers plan to reevaluate Nance’s knee Friday night and provide an update on Saturday regarding his availability for Sunday’s game in Dallas.
“If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have missed any time,” Nance said. “But I’m just happy to be nearing getting back out on the court.”
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Whenever the two teammates banter with each other, Nance often addresses rookie center Ivica Zubac without saying his actual name. That’s because Nance has formulated plenty of nicknames for the Croatian big man.
Nance shared a new one on Twitter by calling Zubac, “Zu Alcindor” a play off of the former Lew Alcindor turned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar amid Zubac’s efforts to imitate his sky hook.
Nance shared his other favorite nicknames for Zubac, some of which incorporate other Lakers teammates or NBA players. They included: Kareem Abdul-Zabbar, Zuol Deng, Zulius Randle, Zwight Howard, Zu Williams and Zupac, in reference to the late rapper, Tupac.
Nance also teased Zubac for contending he did not play one-on-one this week because he was scared.
“Isn’t it always a child’s job to talk trash to their dad?” Nance said. “I talk trash to my dad. He hasn’t beaten me. I haven’t beaten my dad. That’s how it goes.”
at that for Pistons. Better get picks out of it.
