Garrett Temple knows what Brandon Ingram can do more than anyone else on the Toronto Raptors roster. Temple spent two seasons with Ingram in New Orleans and got to see up close what Ingram’s habits are and how potent an offensive force he can be.
Though Ingram had been named the NBA’s most improved player and an all-star before Temple joined him with the Pelicans, it can be argued he was even better in the two years Temple had a front row seat.
Ingram averaged a career-best 24.7 points per game in 2022-23 and his most assists while also getting to the free throw line at will. He then scored 27 points, including three clutch baskets to seal the game, in a play-in win over San Antonio. Ingram added another 30 to knock off the Los Angeles Clippers in a second play-in. But Ingram wasn’t done. The No. 8 seed put a scare into top seed Phoenix in Round 1 of the playoffs, taking them to six games in large part because of Ingram’s series-high 27 point average, along with 6.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds. Ingram shot 41% from three in the series even though he spent plenty of time matched up with all-NBA defender Mikal Bridges. The next year he scored 30 in a play-in loss to Oklahoma City. Given those performances, it’s easy to see why Temple is excited about the addition as the Raptors look to become competitive again next season.
“All-star talent, to get him here and lock him in for the amount of years that we’ve been able to lock him in for, I think that’s a really great get for us,” Temple told Postmedia in a recent interview before the NBA’s all-star break.
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While basketball observers might think isolation scorer when conjuring up images of Ingram in action, Temple believes there’s much more to his game and it’s possible he can make another leap in Toronto under Darko Rajakovic’s ball-moving, quick decision-making system.
“He provides something that we don’t have in terms of a wing that can kind of like, do it all (scoring-wise),” Temple said. I think RJ (Barrett) is great at getting downhill and getting to the basket. BI has the ability to shoot threes, can really score off isolations. He plays well without the ball and with the ball,” Temple said. “So I think that’s a side that teams and the fans are are going to see more of, that he can play without the ball and make the right decisions, that he wasn’t really able to do as much in in New Orleans.”
At Ingram’s introductory media conference he said he thought people had forgotten what he could do on the court because of his injuries and since New Orleans doesn’t get much media exposure. Temple nodded his head in agreement when asked about the statement.
“No question. I think he got a he has a mindset of kind of starting a whole new chapter of his career,” Temple told Postmedia. “He got to New Orleans and made all-star (after being the No. 2 pick of the 2016 draft and then the centrepiece of the Anthony Davis trade to the Los Angeles Lakers). “But, you know, small market, with the injuries and Zion (Williamson, who missed the entire season that ended with the playoff loss against Phoenix), them not being able to play … be as healthy as the team could be, to show what they could do, it was difficult for him,” Temple said. “He’s (wearing) number three now, and he’s gonna be able to show,” Temple said of Ingram’s fresh start in Toronto.
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One other misconception people might have about Ingram, largely borne out of his extremely laid-back and quiet demeanour, and possibly all of the injuries over the years, is that he isn’t a gym rat or someone who gets the most out of his talent. According to Temple, the reality is quite different and it’s why he anticipates Ingram starring next season.
“He’s always been a hard worker, like crazy hard worker,” Temple said. “So, I feel sorry for whoever’s guarding him when he gets back (from his ankle injury) and especially next year. Once he’s nailed it with the team, he definitely has something on his mind.
“So I’m excited about it.”
@WolstatSun