Los Angeles Lakers: Is The KD Comparison For Brandon Ingram Fair?

The Los Angeles Lakers No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft Brandon Ingram has been drawing comparisons to Kevin Durant over the past few weeks. Are they well founded or crazy?

Since the NBA Draft started getting more time in the sports’ news world, one-and-done Duke star Brandon Ingram has been compared to one of the best scorers in the history of the NBA, Kevin Durant.

Durant made the comparisons even more viable when he answered a reporter’s question regarding the comparison.

Asked Kevin Durant about Brandon Ingram today and he said Ingram's even farther along than he was at that age, really impressed.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) July 19, 2016

Durant had also made mention this week that when he sees Ingram, that it’s like looking in a mirror for the first time since he entered the NBA. Pretty high praise from one of the NBA’s best players from the last 20 years.

So are these comparisons fair to Ingram?

I would say that the answer is a complicated one and both sides could make a good case for their side of the argument.

First of all, the body comparison is obviously the biggest similarity and the primary reason behind the comparison in the first place. Here’s a look at how the two measure up:

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Brandon Ingram: 6’9″ / 190 lbs. / 7’3″ wingspan / 17.3 PPG / 6.8 RPG / 44% FG percentage

Kevin Durant: 6’10” / 210 lbs. (’07 NBA Draft measurable) / 7’4″ wingspan / 25.8 PPG / 11.1 RPG / 47% FG percentage

*Stats are from each player’s one year in college*

*Stats via Yahoo! Sports*

They are nearly identical in their body size, but Durant gets the decisive edge in terms of performance at the NCAA level. You could tell Durant was going to be a star from the moment he walked out onto the court. He was the rare player that looked like a skinny center, but played like a really tall guard.

Ingram is a little skinnier than Durant was. He came into Duke weighing around 185 lbs and also had much more talent surrounding him, which ultimately took away some of his shot opportunities that Durant got with Texas. This may be the cause for the substantial difference in college production.

At Texas, D.J. Augustin and Dexter Pittman were Durant’s primary help. While at Duke this past season, Ingram had a young team around him including Grayson Allen and Marshall Plumlee.

A big difference I have noticed between the two’s time in the NCAA is that Ingram is actually a better shooter than Durant was. Durant’s game evolved around the mid-range jumpshot and attacking the rim. His 3-point shot developed over time and became one of his strong points after getting drafted.

Ingram, on the other hand, seemed to favor the shot more heavily and was fine with being a outlet on the drive and kick. Ingram only shot about two percent better from 3-point range, but he seems like more of his game will revolve around shooting the three early in his career, while Durant’s focus seemed to be getting stronger and driving to the rim heading into the 2007 NBA Draft.

Both players are solid rebounders simply because of their size but Durant again comes out on top, grabbing nearly 3.5 more rebounds per game than Ingram did. Ingram has the potential to be just as good of a rebounder as Durant is now, but he will need to add about 30 lbs before he will really make an impact on the glass.

Defensively, both guys had the same problem at age 18. Size. With more NBA experience, both players will grow into their bodies more and more and until they start to decline, they should both continue to improve with added size. Durant can already guard NBA four-men, and in about two or three years, hopefully Ingram can do the same.

Adding another inch or two to Ingram’s frame wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world either. The taller he is, the more damage he can do with his playing style.

So in review, Durant was a little bigger, a little bit taller, and a better rebounder/scorer than Ingram was at the NCAA ranks. Ingram may have a little better upside when in comes to being a pure shooter, but I believe that Durant was a slightly better and more intriguing prospect than Brandon Ingram is now.

Ingram’s ceiling is incredibly high with the Los Angeles Lakers, but owner Jim Buss must get the franchise turned around soon if he wants to be able to keep the young nucleus of Ingram/Russell/Randle and others. This franchise is one to watch over the next few years, one that is in line for massive improvement. Selecting Ingram was their first step in the right direction.

must read: NBA: The Seven Biggest Takeaways From The 2016 Offseason

What do you think about the Ingram-to-Durant comparison? Can Ingram be as successful as Durant has become? Could he be a colossal bust?

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