LA Lakers Rumors: Brandon Ingram Injures Knee Against Utah Jazz
LA Lakers rumors could reveal some bad news about Brandon Ingram. Ingram injured his knee as the Lakers played the Utah Jazz on Friday night (Oct. 28). Ingram was playing defense when it appeared he made contact with another player and came down awkwardly. A report by ESPN stated that he “felt something” and immediately exited the game. The Lakers coaching staff kept him out for the remainder of the game and expect to have Ingram go through more tests.
Ingram didn’t seem that phased by the knee injury when speaking after the game. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft was asked whether he would play on Saturday (Oct. 29) against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ingram stated that he “definitely” planned on playing in the game and that he considered the setback to be “nothing really serious.” Lakers coach Luke Walton didn’t share Ingram’s optimism when he spoke about the knee injury.
“There’s no way we’re going to get him out there playing again until we know 100 percent that there’s nothing wrong with his knee. He said it didn’t hurt when he was walking, but when he went back in and tried to run, he said he felt a little something. Whether it was tendinitis or something more, we’re not quite sure, but obviously we’re going to keep a close eye on it.”
There have been several LA Lakers rumors on social media (already), stating that Brandon Ingram will sit out the next game as a precaution. This isn’t something that Ingram or the coaching staff has confirmed, so it’s a situation that Lakers fans and fantasy basketball owners will want to pay close attention to on Saturday morning. As one of the main “prizes” from the recent NBA Draft, the franchise isn’t going to risk allowing Ingram to play if he isn’t 100 percent healthy by tipoff.
This was the second game for Ingram after he debuted against the Houston Rockets earlier in the week. He has played 28 minutes total, averaging 5.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. Ingram has made the most of his minutes, connecting on 62.5 percent of his shots and 33.3 percent from three-point range. The early plan is for Ingram to come off the bench for the Lakers and provide the second unit with a spark.
The 19-year-old rookie was a star at Duke, where he averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Brandon Ingram then became the second player selected in the 2016 NBA Draft, right behind Ben Simmons of LSU. The Philadelphia 76ers went with Simmons, who hasn’t played an NBA game yet due to a preseason injury. That has allowed Ingram to command the stage among rookies, but playing only four minutes on Friday night has hurt his per game averages.
These LA Lakers rumors come at a bad time, as the team is working hard to rebuild after the retirement of Kobe Bryant. The young roster also has Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, and Jordan Clarkson, but the team lost 96-89 to the Utah Jazz without Ingram on the court. This comes after the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 120-114 to open the season and give fans hope that the rebuilding process wouldn’t take very long. Losing Ingram for any length of time could set the team back a bit.
Game time for the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder is 4 p.m. PT on Saturday (Oct. 29), giving the team a lot of time to examine and monitor Brandon Ingram before making a decision about playing time. The Lakers will likely put him through a battery of tests just to make sure there is no structural damage. If he is still hurting or the knee has soreness, fans should expect him to sit out at least one more game.
[Featured Image by Harry How/Getty Images]
