It was a three-point game near the midpoint of the fourth quarter when Brandon Ingram appeared to glitch.
Ingram had Luguentz Dort, the Oklahoma City Thunder's fire hydrant wing, pinned on his back side. All Ingram had to do was elevate and take a 6-foot jumper. Ingram pivoted, then pivoted, then pivoted once more. When he finally jumped, he decided to throw the ball cross-court to Naji Marshall. Marshall shot an air ball.
Brandon Ingram now 1-for-11. This is turning into Tom vs. Jerry. pic.twitter.com/ZgfquiVwWX
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 30, 2024
Ingram’s choice to pass instead of shoot was one of the many head-scratching decisions he made in the New Orleans Pelicans’ 97-89 Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Monday’s elimination game, Ingram scored eight points on 2-of-14 shooting.
It was a John Starks-ian, Ben Simmons-esque performance from the Pelicans’ 26-year-old forward, who missed almost everything he threw up. By the end of the night, he seemed hesitant to shoot at all.
Ingram was critical of his performance. He said he played some of the worst basketball of his career in the past few months and vowed to use that as motivation to get better.
“I’ll be honest,” Ingram said. “This was, from (Team) USA up to this season, this was probably the worst I’ve been in a New Orleans Pelican uniform. I’m motivated by that.
"I can go back and blame coaches. I can blame everybody else but myself. But I have to go look myself in the mirror and tell myself what I really need to do. How can I help this team? How can I help the coaches?”
Last summer, Ingram was chosen to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. He was expected to be one of Team USA’s scoring leaders, but by the end of the tournament, his coaches relegated him to a bench role. Josh Hart, whom Ingram was teammates with in Los Angeles and New Orleans, started the third-place game for Team USA against Canada.
The NBA regular season went better for Ingram than his stint playing internationally. He appeared in 64 games, the most he has played in since his rookie year with the Lakers in 2016-17. Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists. The Pelicans won 49 regular-season games, tied for their second-most in franchise history.
Ingram and running mate Zion Williamson appeared primed to appear in the playoffs together for the first time since they became teammates in 2019. But on March 21, Ingram landed awkwardly on his left knee and had to be helped off the floor. He was diagnosed with a bone bruise and missed the next 12 games.
He returned to the floor in the Pelicans’ regular-season finale on April 14. In the seven games he played in after returning from injury, Ingram cracked the 20-point barrier only once.
In four games against the Thunder, Ingram averaged 14.3 points on 34.5% shooting with 3.3 assists and 2.3 turnovers. The Pelicans were depending on him to be a scorer and creator without the injured Williamson in the lineup. Ingram wasn’t up to the task.
Ingram scored 57 points in the four games. The Thunder’s talented trio of 25-and-under players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren — all outscored Ingram.
The Pelicans scored 93.5 points per 100 possessions in the series. Statistically, it was the worst offensive performance by a playoff team since 2015-16.
“I just want to be comfortable being uncomfortable,” Ingram said. “I want somebody around me that’s going to push me. I don’t want no one around me to be a yes man. I want someone to tell me exactly what it is. I just want to go work. I just want to go work and be a better version of myself.”
Ingram has one year remaining on his contract. According to ESPN, he is eligible to sign a four-year extension worth $208 million this summer. To avoid the risk of losing Ingram for nothing, the Pelicans have to decide to either give him a contract extension or trade him this summer.
“That’s not in the front of my mind right now,” Ingram said. "This is a place where I got my first All-Star (appearance). Where they let me be myself. I have good relationships with everyone. But you never know. I will take a few weeks off and think about what’s best for me, what’s best for my family. Then take it from there.
“No matter what, I have a lot of love for the city of New Orleans. For the fans. They did nothing but treat me right. There is some unfinished business here.”
