All-star snub #3: Brandon Ingram
With a top-heavy Western Conference, it’s difficult to find snubs that should have made the team. However, Brandon Ingram is a worthy one, so he rounds out the list. At 19-32, the New Orleans Pelicans were likely never going to get an all-star based on how the voting is currently constructed – however, Ingram is still deserving of the selection.
Averaging 22.5 points, six rebounds, and 5.2 assists a night while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from downtown, Ingram is the main engine in the Pelicans’ offense. After a difficult start to his career in Los Angeles, Ingram has blossomed into an all-star caliber playing in New Orleans, averaging over 22 points in each of his three seasons there.
He acts as a primary ball-handler for coach Willie Green and has shown strides in his distributing ability. He’s always been a gifted scorer in isolation, and that has continued this year, hitting 50 percent of his mid-range jumpers. Additionally, he’s become a productive finisher at the rim, converting 65.1 percent of those looks.
When Ingram goes off the court, the Pelicans completely fall apart, as the team has a +11.4 net rating when he plays. That’s good enough for the 93rd percentile in the league, signifying his impact even in a mostly forgotten season.
Around the league, Ingram has the reputation of a losing player – someone who gathers empty stats while not actually contributing to winning. On the contrary, Ingram has improved on both ends of the floor and would fit well into any championship-contending team.
At 24 years of age, he’s already one of the most prolific scorers in the association, and certainly deserving of an all-star spot.
Who Brandon Ingram should replace: Andrew Wiggins
This is cheating a little bit, as Andrew Wiggins was named an all-star starter, but we’ll go along with it anyway. Wiggins got to his first all-star game mainly through fan voting, signifying a need to change the current system at hand.
When comparing statistics, it’s not even close, as Ingram has Wiggins beat in every counting stat. Sure, BI has more opportunity on a losing Pelicans team, as opposed to Wiggins having to give up shots to both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. However, Ingram is able to do more with the ball in his hands, creating his own shot on a consistent basis.
Wiggins has thrived in the Golden State system due to the team’s spacing while playing with Curry, getting much more open looks for himself. He wasn’t as successful in Minnesota because he didn’t have a player of Curry’s caliber to benefit from.
Every NBA fan can see Ingram is simply more talented than Andrew Wiggins and deserves the all-star nod over him.