Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram's 2022-23 NBA season overview
Ingram’s masterful performance last spring during his NBA playoff debut vs. Phoenix gave his biggest supporters hope that the talented, versatile forward was finally about to receive his just due as one of the NBA’s rising stars. But as Ingram acknowledged after New Orleans’ play-in tournament loss to Oklahoma City on April 12, he couldn’t entirely build on ’21-22, due to a toe injury that sidelined Ingram for two months. Not long after his January return to action, however, the Duke University product played perhaps the best basketball of his pro career. Following the All-Star break, he put up averages of 27.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists, with an elite shooting split of 50/37/89. “I think I was able to show after All-Star break a little bit of my game,” Ingram said, in typically understated fashion. “Having a chance to get well conditioned and play (near) 40 minutes a night.” The North Carolina native averaged 36.5 minutes over his final 21 appearances, a workload that would’ve been even higher if not for the Pelicans’ five late-March blowout victories by 19 points or more – all of which he dominated individually. At various stages of ’22-23, New Orleans and Ingram showed signs of greatness, but the Pelicans were not able to sustain it after taking over first place in the Western Conference via a 23-12 start.
Brandon Ingram's 2022-23 NBA season recap
“We can look back at that, and we’ve thought about that the whole year, how we started off and how we could have been,” Ingram said of the club’s promising beginning. “But we have to continue to live in the present. We made steps. It would’ve been great to have our full group (healthy), but that never happens throughout a season. Hopefully we can have that next year.”
“Even though we didn’t make the playoffs this year, we made strides in getting better. So that’s the positive out of this. We’ve shown we’ve gotten better. We plan to continue to get better.”Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram's 2022-23 progression
Passing and winning – those were the two most prominent areas of improvement for Ingram this season. He set a new career high in assists with 13 on March 25 in a 21-point romp at the LA Clippers, then matched it 11 days later in an OT home win over Memphis. “I thought I’ve grown in facilitating,” Ingram said of the strides he made in setting up quality attempts for the Pelicans. “Trying to communicate to my teammates on the floor and trying to find the best shot.” Meanwhile, when New Orleans posted its 42nd victory April 7 vs. New York, it clinched the first winning regular season of Ingram’s NBA career. His previous best mark was 37-45 with the ’18-19 Lakers. “It makes you feel a little better,” he said of the first-time achievement. “Even though we didn’t make the playoffs this year, we made strides in getting better. So that’s the positive out of this. We’ve shown we’ve gotten better. We plan to continue to get better.”
Brandon Ingram's Pelicans Podcast recap
The Athletic’s Will Guillory joins the podcast to discuss New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram and the impact he’s had on the court, where he’s grown, what he’s shown as a leader, and what we can expect from the future with a healthy squad.
Brandon Ingram's per-game stats from the 2022-23 NBA season
| GP | GS | MIN | FG% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Ingram | 45 | 45 | 34.2 | 48.4% | 39% | 88.2% | 5.5 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 24.7 |
Photos: Brandon Ingram's 2022‑23 Season in Review
1 / 50NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 12: Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives to the basket around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2023 Play-In Tournament on April 12, 2023 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)
Brandon Ingram by the numbers
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Times Ingram has scored 30 points in a postseason game (out of his nine chances), after he tallied a team-best 30 vs. Oklahoma City on April 12 during the play-in tournament. Including six playoff games vs. Phoenix and three play-in contests, Ingram has averaged 27.7 points.
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Players ranking among the NBA’s top 25 in scoring this season (minimum 41 games) who only had single-digit career playoff games entering the 2023 postseason. That quartet included Ingram, Utah forward Lauri Markkanen (0), Sacramento guard De’Aaron Fox (0, but not anymore) and Minnesota guard/forward Anthony Edwards (6, but assured double digits via a Round 1 series vs. Denver). Among the top 25 scorers, 14 have been to at least the conference finals.
Brandon Ingram's Top Plays | 2022-23 NBA Season Highlights
Brandon Ingram's three most notable games
#1: Feb. 4, 2023 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (131-126 Win)
Wins against a former NBA team are always sweet for any player. Ingram’s 19 second-half points helped the Pelicans rally from a double-digit deficit to overtake the Lakers, with the Smoothie King Center hosts outscoring their guests 70-54 after intermission. Ingram totaled 35 points on 15/28 shooting.
#2: March 1, 2023 vs. Portland Trail Blazers (121-110 Win)
Ingram piled up 40 points (his most in a victory this season) and lifted the Pelicans to a needed victory, preventing the Trail Blazers from moving ahead of them in the West standings. He shot 18/29 from the field and only needed three free throws to get to 40.
#3: March 25, 2023 vs. LA Clippers (131-110 Win)
Instrumental twice during a dominant, 3-0 series sweep over the Clippers, Ingram went for 32 points and a career-high 13 assists in Crypto.com Arena. He scored 36 points against LAC exactly a week later on April Fool’s Day.
