Los Angeles Lakers rookie forward Brandon Ingram returned to the team on Saturday after missing three games due to knee tendinitis and picked up right where he had left off. He had 18 points and five rebounds against the Clippers and followed it up with 13 points against the Grizzlies, shooting at least 50 percent in both contests.
Ingram experienced some frustration over the weekend however, as a minutes restriction forced him to sit during the stretch of both games. He no longer has to worry about that as Luke Walton said that Ingram is no longer on a minutes restriction, according to Mark Medina of the Southern California News Group:
Luke Walton said Brandon Ingram will play tonight without a minute restriction
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 5, 2017
This is certainly welcome news for Ingram who spoke about wanting to be out on the floor in those closing moments, even though he understood why the Lakers were being cautious. The Lakers want Ingram out there as well as he has been one of the team’s best players over the last month.
After starting the month of March with a with a scoreless outing against the Boston Celtics, Ingram has scored in double figures every game since. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists last month while shooting 51.7 percent from the field.
In recent games, Ingram has really gotten more comfortable attacking the basket and finishing in the paint. His defense and playmaking have remained solid as well, and his play has really gotten fans excited about his ability to become a star in the future.
With the offseason coming up he has already spoken about the work he needs to put in, and how he and Ivica Zubac plan on dominating the summer league. Now that he isn’t limited to 24 minutes he can also make the most out of these final games of the regular season, starting with tonight’s game in San Antonio.