One swing skill: Brandon Ingram off the ball

This is a part of an off-season series by Esfandiar Baraheni, breaking down one skill for each Raptor heading into the 2025-2026 season that could change their career. Check out the video below.

At this point, we know what Brandon Ingram can do.

At 27 years old and entering his 10th season in the NBA, Ingram boasts a lengthy resume showcasing his prolific scoring prowess, crafty mid-range game, developing playmaking chops, and microwave-like shooting. Since his Most Improved Player season in 2020, Ingram has been a 20+ per-game scorer in each season he spent in New Orleans. In fact, through six seasons with the Pelicans, Ingram averaged 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 47-37-85 shooting splits — something only Kevin Durant and Steph Curry have done in the last decade over a 300-game span.

Of course, injuries have limited him to just 305 regular-season games of a potential 492 through six seasons. Health will naturally be a significant factor as he starts his tenure with the Toronto Raptors, and his success throughout this contract will be tied to just how available he can be.

But when he’s available, it’s undeniable what he can do on the floor. And in the Raptors’ offensive system, he has the potential to become an All-Star once again.

Ingram has been in the 99th percentile for mid-range frequency in his last five seasons and has shot 44% on long twos in that span, ranking in the 75th percentile for his position, respectively. He shot 49% on dribble jumpers from inside the arc on over 107 attempts, just last season for the Pelicans. He is both prolific and efficient when it comes to getting these looks. This quality is what has made him a good isolation scorer — he generated over 0.9 points per isolation in five of his six seasons in New Orleans, putting him on par with Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, and LeBron James in that category from last season.

Admittedly, Ingram doesn’t get to the rim often, but it’s not for a lack of ability. Less than 20% of his shot diet has come at the rim over the last five seasons, which ranks very low for his position. But he’s more than capable of finishing when he gets there, knocking down over 70% of his shots at the basket over his last two seasons.

This is partially scheme-related. Ingram played alongside Zion Williamson, another downhill threat who wasn’t much of an outside shooter. So, Zion’s man would typically be camped in the paint, making it harder for Ingram to get into the teeth of the defense. But it’s also partly on Ingram for settling for mid-range looks because he’s so effective with them. For Ingram, finding balance in his shot diet for the Raptors next season will be essential.

And the Raptors will also have to find balance with Ingram.

Under Darko Rajakovic, the Raptors don’t run a ton of pick-and-roll, ranking in the bottom 10 in frequency and possessions in each of his seasons as Head Coach. Still, Ingram will immediately slot in as their best operator in these actions.

Ingram ran over 300 pick-and-rolls in each of his full seasons with the Pelicans. That’s comparable to Fred VanVleet, De’Aaron Fox, and Ja Morant in terms of frequency. In the 2023-2024 season, Ingram had over 773 possessions running pick-and-rolls (including passes) and generated 1.06 points per pick-and-roll, ranking in the 82nd percentile. He’s very good at using screens to get to his spots and manipulate the defense to find openings for his teammates.

In these actions, Ingram’s playmaking is generally a quality that goes underrated when he’s discussed as a creator. And while he has the reputation of being a ball stopper, that’s more a product of the Pelicans’ offense than anything else.

Consider this: Ingram ranked just outside the top 50 in terms of average time holding the ball per touch and the number of dribbles he took when he had the ball in his hands in the 2023-2024 season. He’s more than capable of moving off the ball and making quick decisions. He’s excellent at weaponizing his mid-range repertoire and his length to see over the top of defenses when they’re at their most vulnerable, defending the middle of the floor. That aspect should pair well with Jakob Poeltl’s screening and short-roll playmaking.

Within the Raptors context, making quick decisions is everything, and Ingram will likely be asked to do even more with the ball in his hands as a facilitator. The Raptors have been top 10 in assists per game in the last two seasons, and Ingram stands to benefit from that a great deal.

But he’ll also be asked to do more off the ball than he ever has in his career. And that’s where he might make the most difference.

Don’t get me wrong — expanding his range on the ball will be vital as he tries to put more pressure on defenses. Of the 76 players who took more than two pull-up threes a game last season, Ingram ranked 57th, shooting just 31% — which is in range with his production from there in the previous six seasons in New Orleans.

But where there’s tremendous upside is in his ability to knock down catch-and-shoot threes. Over 70% of Ingram’s three-point attempts in New Orleans came off the catch — 1105 of 1549 attempts — and he shot 40% on those looks. That’s a healthy sample that shows he can be knocked down off the ball. The issue is that his catch-and-shoot attempts have come down in each season of his career, and that needs to change in Toronto.

If anything, it’ll be forced to change. The Raptors’ offense, especially in their starting lineup, will need Ingram to be a release valve of sorts, particularly when Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett have the ball in their hands. Couple this with his ability to make decisions on the go, and you have a dynamic off-ball threat on the weak side.

Perhaps where Ingram will need to grow the most in Toronto is moving without the ball. While he’s more than capable of camping out on the opposite side, he’ll be asked to move and cut more than he ever has in his career. The Raptors were third in cuts last season, and that’s not going to change anytime soon under Darko Rajakovic.

For context: Both Scottie and RJ had over 70 possessions labeled as ‘cuts’ just last season. Ingram has had a total of 162 cuts in his six seasons in New Orleans. While the labelling of these possessions can sometimes be inaccurate, when you watch the tape, it’s clear that Ingram doesn’t move a ton without the ball, and that’ll be one of the things he’ll have to adjust as he starts his tenure with the Raptors.

Ultimately, Ingram is a serious talent upgrade for a roster looking to make the playoffs next season. The Raptors now have a player who provides pop as a scorer, matches their identity when it comes to his unselfishness, and has the potential to be lethal off the ball as well.

Everything is set up for BI to have an All-Star caliber season in Toronto. All he has to do is play his game and win.

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