The Duke Blue Devils were unable to defend their national championship this year as they lost to the Oregon Ducks in the Sweet 16. Grayson Allen was particularly off in that game but freshman Brandon Ingram came to play in what was likely his final college basketball game.
Ingram was great for Duke all season but on this particular night last week he impressed someone pretty significant. Kobe Bryant was in the stands watching the game and he liked what he saw from the freshman.
As we all know Bryant will retire after this season but he still wants to leave the Los Angeles Lakers in good hands when he is gone. Based on his assessment of Ingram it seems like Kobe would give the Lakers his blessing if they drafted him with their first round pick.
"I think he plays with a lot of poise, extremely long and he knows how to use it. I was very impressed," Bryant said.
Coming into this season Ben Simmons was considered the surefire first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Recently though, Ingram has been gaining traction as the potential first overall pick in the draft due to his shooting ability and versatility. Simmons' LSU Tigers didn't make the NCAA tournament and there are questions about his competitiveness, so some mock drafts have Ingram being taken before Simmons in the draft.
The Lakers currently have the second worst record in the NBA behind the Philadelphia 76ers which gives them the second best chance to get the first overall pick. It is unclear who the 76ers or the Lakers prefer between Simmons and Ingram but the general consensus among NBA people seems to be that Ingram is going first overall.
The Lakers would likely be thrilled to add either Ingram or Simmons to their young core but some people feel as though Ingram is a better fit for them because of his ability to shoot the ball. Assuming the Lakers get a top two pick, whichever player they do add will give them four solid young prospects moving forward. Add on the projected $62 million they will have in cap space this summer and a turnaround may be closer than Lakers fans might think.
Ingram has received plenty of accolades this season while at Duke but getting praise from Kobe has to be among the best things he has heard so far. With the NBA Draft coming up it can only help boost his stock which was already on its way up. Ingram to the Lakers was always realistic because of their poor record but now this scouting report from Kobe should make the possibility even more exciting.
