Brandon Ingram ESPN Insider Request

[SourGrapes]

http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/14418401/is-duke-brandon-ingram-next-kevin-durant-nba

Thanks fellas

[SourGrapes]

http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/14418401/is-duke-brandon-ingram-next-kevin-durant-nba

Thanks fellas

Bump

[FreezingTsmoove]

Cmon ISH this guy is a stronger KD

[dubnation]

Here ya go. Interesting prospect but I don't really see him as a KD, since KD was already an elite shooter in college. I definitely see the Giannis comp.


Is Brandon Ingram the best prospect after Ben Simmons?

Chad Ford: Ben Simmons has been No. 1 on my Big Board since it debuted in July. I'll be shocked if he doesn't stay there through draft night in 2016.

But figuring out who will be the No. 2 pick in the draft has proven more challenging. There are several players with the physical upside or skill set to be considered No. 2.

A little more than a month into the college season, NBA scouts seem to be leaning toward Duke's Brandon Ingram as the second-best prospect in the draft. I moved him to No. 2 on Big Board 3.0 on Friday.

Where does he stand on your statistical Big Board, Kevin?

Kevin Pelton: In part because of his move to No. 2 on your Big Board, Ingram is also second in my consensus projections that factor in subjective rankings.

Purely in terms of the statistical projection, Ingram ranks seventh, but that's partially because freshmen tend to have more conservative projections early in the season as I regress their stats to the mean. For example, Simmons isn't yet No. 1 in the statistical projections despite being far and away the top prospect when I remove the regression factor.

So I'd say so far Ingram's numbers agree with what scouts are seeing from him. Now what is that exactly, Chad?
What are Ingram's strengths?

Ford: There are a couple of things that scouts love about Ingram.

First, he has elite size for his position. Ingram stands 6-foot-10 as a perimeter player with a crazy 7-foot-3 wingspan. His length makes him especially intriguing as it lets him get off his shot against anyone, allows for him to be more creative finishing at the basket and makes him a menace on defense -- both in passing lanes and protecting the rim.

Second, Ingram has the potential to become a good shooter for a player his size. He's shooting nearly 49 percent on his 2-point jumpers, according to Hoop-Math.com, and 36 percent from 3-point range. If you subtract a pretty slow start for Ingram as he adjusted to his role at Duke and focus on his last five games, he looks even better.

What do the numbers say are his strengths, Kevin?

Pelton: Ingram's wingspan certainly stands out statistically as well. At this point, probably his best attribute is his combination of steal and block rates. He had three of each Monday and is now averaging 2.2 blocks and 2.0 steals per 40 minutes. That kind of combo usually translates into a quality NBA defender.

Ingram's other biggest strength might not be found anywhere on the box score -- his age. Most of the nation's top freshmen, including Simmons, are already 19. Ingram won't turn 19 until next September, making him the youngest prospect ranked in your top 50.

Given the importance of age in projecting future development, that's a huge plus in Ingram's favor.

What are Ingram's weaknesses?

Ford: And his age gives him a few drawbacks as well. Ingram's body looks like it's 18. He's painfully thin. He put on 20 pounds since he got to Duke and he's still weighing in at less than 200 pounds. His lack of strength affects his ability to get much done in the post offensively, hurts his rebounding numbers and means he can get bullied by stronger players on both sides of the ball.

One other concern for me is his free-throw shooting. Though pegged as a good-to-very-good shooter by scouts, he's shooting just 60 percent from the line. That number is worth watching going forward. What do the stats say about his weaknesses right now, Kevin?

Pelton: Spot on, Chad.

My biggest concern at this point would be Ingram's defensive rebounding. While he has been a presence on the offensive glass, Ingram is pulling down 12.1 percent of available defensive rebounds, which is below average for an NCAA small forward -- let alone an NBA-bound one. Playing at the top when the Blue Devils zone may be a factor in that.

As for foul shooting, as we discussed last year, it's a slightly better predictor of NBA 3-point percentage than college 3-point shooting.

That's playing out with another Duke forward, Justise Winslow. He hit 42 percent of his 3s from the college line, but his 64 percent foul shooting suggested that overstated his true ability. And indeed Winslow is shooting just 26.5 percent beyond the arc in the NBA this season.

So Ingram's free throw percentage should be something of a concern.
Ingram the next KD? PG? Giannis?

Ford: Comps are always especially difficult when you talk about players at the top of the Big Board.

At the top end of Ingram's potential, I've heard scouts compare him to a young Kevin Durant and Paul George. Both were skinny, long, athletic forwards with jump shots.

I see the similarities in style and skill, but it might be a bit optimistic to compare an 18-year-old to a pair of NBA MVP candidates. But in terms of his traits as an 18-year-old, the George comp isn't a bad one.

On the bottom end, I hear Tayshaun Prince a lot. Prince has had a solid NBA career, but he doesn't exactly scream No. 2 pick. What do the stats say?

Pelton: George does come up as one of Ingram's top four comps by my SCHOENE projection system, along with Luol Deng, Otto Porter and Khris Middleton as the closest match.

Watching Ingram play, however, another name comes to mind -- Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, who isn't a potential SCHOENE match because he didn't play college basketball. Like Antetokounmpo at the start of his NBA career, Ingram is relying heavily on his athleticism and wingspan with the potential to become a star as he builds his skills around those tools.

Ingram's NBA projections from my system compare closely to what the Greek Freak did as a rookie at age 19.

Ford: I like the Antetokounmpo comp, Kevin. Similar body type and athleticism. Giannis had a little better frame and was a better ball handler and playmaker, but Ingram is probably a little better shooter. If he's George or Giannis in four years, then I think he's worthy of the No. 2 pick.

[FreezingTsmoove]

He also didnt reclassify like many of these young players do to gain the extra advantage of being HELD BACK A GRADE in order to dominate the competition

Only 18 while Simmons, Skal, Jaylen Brown are 19

[Fallen Angel]

>young wing
>skinny long build
>alright college scorer

>next kevin durant

[MMM]

>young wing
>skinny long build
>alright college scorer

>next kevin durant

Alright college scorer should eliminate the KD comparisons right then and there