• Age 22
• Experience 4 seasons (one with Pelicans)
• Games Played/Games Started 62/62

It was reasonable to think that if Brandon Ingram were clear of any health issues – which he was – the promising small forward would make another jump in Year 4 of his pro career. He wound up exceeding all outside expectations by emerging as a first-time All-Star and one of three finalists for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Rarely does a player make such across-the-board progress as what Ingram demonstrated in 2019-20, becoming a significantly better shooter from both three-point range (33.0 percent in final season with Lakers, then 39.1 this season) and the foul line (67.5 percent to 85.1). In essence, Ingram went from below average to near elite in those two categories, despite having a shortened offseason to prepare, after he was sidelined for the final 19 games of ’18-19 due to blood clotting in his right arm. That condition was successfully treated and became a non-issue.

“It was a great year for me,” Ingram summarized Aug. 11 of his initial Crescent City season. “I had fun with my teammates. I had fun meeting new people in New Orleans, (including) the coaches. I enjoyed my first year here, getting better and better each and every single game, seeing my teammates take different steps, on and off the floor. It was fun to see.”

Brandon Ingram Per-Game Stats from 2019-20 NBA Season

• Minutes 33.9
• Field Goal % 46.3
• Three Point % 39.1
• Free Throw % 85.1
• Points 23.8
• Rebounds 6.1
• Assists 4.2
• Steals 1.0
• Blocks 0.6

Ingram will be a restricted free agent when that period begins (tentatively scheduled for Oct. 18). Asked for his view of New Orleans, Ingram responded in part, “This is definitely a special place, with a lot of really good people and genuine people. I’m enjoying where I’m at.”

Brandon Ingram | By The Numbers

• 95

  Consecutive free throws Ingram could’ve missed and still finished ’19-20 with a better percentage from the foul line than he did the previous season (67.5). That’s how gigantic of a leap Ingram made at the charity stripe with the Pelicans. He shot 313/368 this season; even 313/463 would still mean a rate of 67.6.

• 11

  Games in which Ingram scored 30-plus points. Keep in mind, he did it almost exclusively in very efficient fashion, shooting at least 50 percent from the field in 10 of those 11 instances, with the only exception being a 12/26 night vs. Utah on Jan. 6. In the other three games in which he scored 35 points or more, he shot at least 60 percent each time.

• 33.9, 33.8

  Minutes per game for Ingram this season, then minutes he averaged in the previous season with the Lakers. As media and fans debate which player deserves the Most Improved award, it’s important to note that Ingram’s counting stats increasing did not result from a greater opportunity to be on the floor. He played almost exactly the same amount as the prior campaign, yet became a much more productive scorer, rebounder and assister.

Brandon Ingram | Most Notable Games from 2019-20 NBA Season

• #1, Jan. 16, New Orleans 138, Utah 132 (OT)

  Perhaps the most indelible moment of the entire ’19-20 season occurred with two-tenths of a second left in the fourth quarter, when Ingram drained a right-wing jumper to put the Pelicans up by a point. A subsequent foul call against New Orleans on an inbound pass prevented that from standing up as a game-winning hoop, but Ingram went on to pile up a career-best 49 points in a thrilling win.

• #2, Dec. 25, New Orleans 112, Denver 100

  In the first Christmas victory in team history (New Orleans had lost in previous years at Orlando and Miami), Ingram displayed his three-point improvement in front of a national ESPN audience. He sank a career-best seven treys in nine attempts, highlighting a 31-point performance. He added seven rebounds, two steals and one block.

• #3, Dec. 29, New Orleans 127, Houston 112

  The Pelicans capped an impressive home/home, back-to-back sweep, topping the Rockets by 15, a night after beating Indiana by 22 in the Smoothie King Center. Ingram’s all-around outing featured 27 points on 10/17 shooting, along with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block.