The New Orleans Pelicans clawed their way into the playoffs through the play-in tournament gauntlet, but their stay was brief, as the Oklahoma City Thunder took care of business in four games and knocked them out at the first hurdle. The series got off to a promising start. A Chet Holmgren block at the rim and a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander game-winner in the dying seconds stood between the Pelicans and a shocking Game 1 win in Oklahoma City. But their performance inspired hope that they could push the Thunder and make it a competitive series.
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However, it proved to be a red herring. The Thunder thrashed the Pelicans by 32 and 21 points in Games 2 and 3 before cruising to a 97-89 win in Game 4 on Monday to complete the sweep. In New Orleans’ defense, star forward Zion Williamson was sidelined with a hamstring strain since their play-in tournament loss, and Brandon Ingram has looked uncomfortable since returning from a 12-game layoff due to a hyperextended knee. In the post-game press conference, the latter acknowledged the knee injury but refused to use it as his excuse for the underwhelming display in the series. A despondent Ingram said,
“I played. I don’t think its a great time to make excuses about my physical appearance or how I felt. I played and just came up short. I wasn’t able to catch a rhythm. Maybe it was due to my body but I was out there and just trying to play aggressive. Trying to get my teammates involved. Do everything I could to be the best that I could be.”
While it’s commendable that he did not make an excuse out of it, it’s the only viable explanation for Ingram’s exorbitant dip in form. Before being sidelined due to the injury, he averaged 20.9 points, 5.8 assists and 5.1 rebounds. Post his return in the Pelicans’ final regular season game, the forward’s numbers dipped to 15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
He averaged close to 23 points in Williamson’s absence, during the regular season, but couldn’t offer anything close to that during the Pelicans’ final five games of the campaign while his star teammate was sidelined. It was a disappointing end to a promising year for the 26-year-old star.
The biggest season of Brandon Ingram’s life is forthcoming
Veteran guard CJ McCollum was empathetic and suggested that the forward tried his best but wasn’t healthy enough to combat the challenge. He said in the post-game press conference,
“We’ve got nothing but love for B[randon Ingram]. B is coming off an injury thrust into the fire. High-stakes games. High-intensity games against world-class defender in Dort….For Brandon, the sky is the limit, he’s young, he’s talented. He works on his craft. He’s dedicated to improving each year.”
While his teammates are seemingly willing to give him a pass for his poor finish to the campaign, Ingram has yet to come to terms with it. But the forward has no time to wallow in sadness. He’s entering the final year of the five-year, $186 million extension he signed in November 2020. The 26-year-old is eligible for a five-year, $300 million supermax deal, but his performances haven’t warranted a contract that massive.
With a year left on his deal, Ingram could potentially be traded if the Pelicans want to avoid paying him in the 2025 offseason. New Orleans hopes to sign him to a cheap extension, but the forward will probably turn it down. Regardless of where he starts next season, he’ll need an exceptional campaign to land an extension anywhere close to what he’s eligible to sign. It’s the biggest season of Brandon Ingram’s career, but whether it’ll be in New Orleans or elsewhere is still unclear.
