The Toronto Raptors closed out their 2025-26 regular season campaign with a win over the Brooklyn Nets and here lies another sense of victory for them to celebrate.
Brandon Ingram was just named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 25 (April 6 to 12). He becomes the third Raptors player this season to earn the award. Scottie Barnes was the first to do so during Week 12 (January 5 to 11), and Immanuel Quickley followed shortly after when he took home the honor in Week 14 (January 19 to 25).
During the Week 25 span, the Raptors amassed a 3-1 record, with Brandon Ingram playing a key role in their success. Ingram averaged a team-high 25.5 points on 57.8 percent shooting, including 53.3 percent from three and 80.0 percent from the free throw line. He also contributed 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.0 steals, in an average of 33.3 minutes over the four-game stretch.
However, Ingram's top highlight of Week 25, and arguably his defining season moment overall, was the season-high 38 points he scored against the Heat in the second of their two-straight winning efforts. And in Toronto's final season tilt with Brooklyn, Ingram put up an efficient 25-point performance. He shot 7-for-10 overall, including 3-for-5 from deep, and was perfect 8-for-8 on his free throws. He also added nine rebounds, two assists, and one block.
Since this was the final week of regular season play, this was more or less the perfect capstone for the "Notorious B.I.3," especially given recent discussions labeling Brandon Ingram as overrated.
Brandon Ingram needed this Player of the Week award, considering recent discourse
The aggressive Ingram pursuit already stood out to many Raptors critics as a potentially desperate attempt to go all-in with a core that may not be suited to produce a true postseason triumph. While we still wait to see how the Raptors perform in this pivotal first-round series against the Cavs (whether it’s the Immanuel Quickley factor or the overlooked RJ Barrett factor), there will undoubtedly be a ton of eyes laser-focused on Brandon Ingram and how he performs in the postseason.
People have varying opinions on the value of a player like Ingram, someone whose primary job is to score 20 or more points on a nightly basis, but might be a step behind in other key areas. However, to be recognized as the NBA’s best Eastern Conference player, even if just for a week, is clear-cut evidence that whether you value that impact or not, there is no denying it had some effect on the team’s overall success.
Achievements like this are exactly what it takes to silence (or at least tone down) the critics who doubt Ingram’s true value or upside.