“This little dude reminds me of Kevin Durant all over again,” Kendrick Perkins says Brandon Ingram is ‘a superstar in the making’
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Kevin Durant and Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram is drawing lot of appreciation for his career-defining performance against Phoenix Suns in Game 2. Ex-NBA champion turned analyst Kendrick Perkins compares the New Orleans Pelicans marquee scorer to former MVP, Kevin Durant. The 9th seeded team in the West stunned the NBA World with their game 2 wins over the Top seed, best team in the regular season, Phoenix Suns.
Though NBA and Playoffs in particular are unpredictable, some early match-ups have definite outcomes presumed. When the Pelicans made it into the postseason with a win in the Play-in game against the San Antonio Spurs, followed by a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, many expected them to bow out without any chance against Chris Paul-Devin Booker army. After suffering a rather sloppy defeat in Game 1, Ingram decided to launch the attack towards his opponents in the next game.
After the Game 1 loss, the Pelicans took advantage of part availability of Devin Booker, and thanks to Brandon Ingram, they pulled an important “away victory” in the series. As a result of which, Kendrick Perkins was impressed with the lad and compared him with Kevin Durant.
Brandon Ingram’s comparison with MVP Kevin Durant
Though 4-time scoring champion Durant has a sensational NBA resume, Brandon Ingram showed his ability to match up with KD’s standards. As per Kendrick Perkins, “He (Brandon Ingram) is young superstar in the making, This little dude reminds me of Kevin Durant all over again. The way he can get to his spot, attack the basket, his length, his athleticism all day above.”
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Height wise Ingram is nearly 4-inches shorter than the Nets star, but physically they have many similarities. Both have long wingspan and possess nice jump-time in the air – helping them in making shots and grabbing rebounds. Also, the poise in the game, midrange shooting, and ball dribbling ability of both players are nearly identical.
Though KD excelled in inefficiency and had adapted quickly in the league, Ingram can reach those highs in the coming future. While practicing together for the national team, Durant himself has pointed out the similarities between the two.
In game 2 against Phoenix Suns, Ingram scored game-high 37 points along with 11 rebounds and 9 assists, missing out on his 1st triple-double in the Playoffs. The production had massive significance for the team, as they not only leveled the series but now have also found confidence to turn the tie in their favor. Being without Zion Williamson, who undoubtedly was the main focus of the team, things feat seems to be huge for Ingram, Pelicans’ future growth and plans.
Safe to say, in absence of young star Zion Williamson, Brandon took over the responsibility and carried the team through some adverse situations. The shooting efficiency is well above 45% and long-range scoring is also at par with most of the forwards in the league. So, the comparison with Kevin Durant is certainly flattening for a this Pelicans star, who needs to step up big to make his mark against a tough team like Phoenix Suns.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)