The best NBA talents know how to use their skills in a way that is both selfish and selfless. For example, even the most deadly scorer knows when to find his teammates for an open shot, and the biggest bully knows when to remain calm and stay out of foul trouble.
The Raptors will need forward Brandon Ingram to be a top-flight scorer if they have designs on reaching the NBA Playoffs and potentially winning a round in the tournament. But the Duke product's most undervalued skill might be his passing.
Toronto might possess aspects of a true playoff team, while Ingram serves as the most dominant scorer, but they might elevate towards a bonafide threat to steal a round if he can find ways to share the basketball and get others involved.
Ingram and the Raptors are coming off a key 119-108 win against the Detroit Pistons that saw Ingram compile 34 points, but only one rebound and no assists. He was optimistic about the win when all was said and done, but also noted that the unit has work to do over the final weeks of the regular season.
“For sure, but outside noise is outside noise,” Ingram told Eric Koreen of The Athletic after the win. “Whatever opinion they have about us, that’s cool. But we continue to fight, try to be the best we can on every single time that we play and live with the result.”
Brandon Ingram can be a major playmaker for the Raptors
Across the first 65 games of the season, Ingram has averaged 21.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. According to Cleaning the Glass, the 28-year-old has a 11.5% turnover percentage and a 0.64 assist-to-usage ratio.
These metrics highlight a forward who often has the ball in his hands, but struggles to take care of it. While Ingram has shown the ability to pass, it is also evident that his usage is presently centered around scoring.
While Ingram has always been a score-first player, his experience shows that he can be a key playmaker. During his final mostly healthy season with the New Orleans Pelicans, he averaged 5.7 assists. A few years prior in 2022, he averaged 5.6 assists in the regular season and 6.2 assists across six playoff contests with a team that was more scrappy than talented.
It is worth wondering if he could channel this part of his game if Toronto has to punch above its weight in a potential first-round matchup against a team like the New York Knicks or Boston Celtics. This could theoretically open up timely scoring opportunities for others, such as Immanuel Quickley, and help the Raptors maintain runs in pressure-packed situations when defenses are paying extra attention to Ingram.
The Raptors will benefit from Ingram’s scoring as usual during the season’s final stretch, but his passing could just be the overlooked factor to watch as they attempt to make some real noise.