New Orleans Pelicans’ forward Brandon Ingram had a stellar campaign in 2019/20, and his growth as a player obviously didn’t go unnoticed as he received the NBA’s Most Improved Player award on Monday.
Ingram received 42 first-place votes from 100 voters, collecting 326 points in total. His closest follower was Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo with 38 first-place votes and 295 points, while Dallas Mavericks’ phenom Luka Doncic got 101 points and 12 first-place votes.
Ingram had career-highs all across the board this season, his first with Pelicans, averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. This led him to getting an All-Star call-up for the first time in his career.
“I think this year was just the year I had the most fun, the most fun playing basketball that way that I wanted to play basketball,” said Ingram after learning the news. “I had an opportunity to be in the gym every day with my teammates, who love to do the same things that I love to do. … That was just the most enjoyable moment for me. I don’t think it was a stat or anything that made me the happiest or motivated me the most. “
Brandon Ingram spent the first three seasons of his NBA career with Los Angeles Lakers, who took him No. 2 in the 2016 NBA Draft. He was traded to New Orleans last summer, being part of the blockbuster trade that saw Anthony Davis head to LA.
