No pressure Brandon Ingram, but Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson wants to see a great deal of growth in your sophomore year.
"I expect him to lead us in scoring, be out there, and be the man," Johnson told The Orange County Register's Mark Medina. "It's his team. It would be disappointing if he didn't score up toward 20 points a game."
Nearing the end of the 2016-17 campaign, Johnson gave Ingram his seal of approval when he called him the Lakers' only untradeable player, citing his athleticism, size, agility, and potential as reasons why he wouldn't consider giving him up.
Entering the league as the second overall pick out of Duke, Ingram struggled adjusting to the pro game out of the gate, with his slim frame not doing him any favors when battling larger forwards. However, he carved out a role in head coach Luke Walton's offensive schemes as the season wore on, with his shot attempts and playing time both on the upswing during the final weeks.
Johnson has expressed his expectations to Ingram and the 19-year-old is ready to take the challenge head on.
"My standard is higher than anyone else can set. So with things like that, I just take it all in," Ingram told The Orange County Register. "I’ve been in this league for one year, so I don’t know what to expect my second year or my third year, but I just know I’m going to work the hardest."
Ingram averaged 9.4 points on 40.2 percent shooting, four rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his 79 appearances, and managed to secure a spot on the All-Rookie Second team. Even though doubling his scoring output seems like an insurmountable task, Johnson said he has confidence in Ingram's ability to improve.
"The guy only cares about winning and basketball," Johnson added. "He’s quiet and doesn’t do anything else. He is a very intelligent young man and is our hardest worker."
