Newest Toronto Raptor Brandon Ingram thinks highly of franchise star Scottie Barnes.
This season was not an easy one given the injuries and uncertainty. Especially for a player like Barnes that dealt with his own injuries.
In 65 appearances, this was Barnes’ worst shooting season. Hopefully, this trend does not carry over into next year with reinforcements like Ingram in the fold.
Despite these struggles, the veteran forward shared high praise of the 23-year-old at the Raptors end-of-season press conference:
“Well, what I’ve learned is he stays ready. You know, through every time that I’ve been here, he never complains about practice. I don’t know how many minutes he played last night, but he took the game very seriously. And, that’s the type of guy you want to be around. I don’t know his exact purpose for how hard he went last night. But, you know, players that don’t have the ego and go out and play hard and have a winning mentality. Those are the guys you want to be around.”
Unfortunately, Ingram was unable to suit up for Toronto since coming over in a trade deadline move. But, that time off and ability to spend an offseason with his new team should do wonders.
Integrating a ball-dominant scorer like Ingram presumably will take time, but Barnes is more than a willing passer. It will be intriguing to see if the young star takes on more of a point forward role.
Things look to be trending in the right direction judging by Ingram’s comments and continuing to build on the cohesion will be key to contend for a Play-In or playoff spot next year.
Darko Rajakovic praises Brandon Ingram
Head coach Darko Rajakovic needs to put the pieces together next season as the Raptors look to be competitive. Adding a veteran presence in Brandon Ingram could aid in becoming a serious team.
In a short amount of time, Ingram is already making an impact on the organization and Rajakovic spoke highly of their newest addition.
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