Friday update: Ingram is expected to miss two weeks with a bone contusion in his knee, according to Shams Charania. This is positive news for the Pelicans, who are in the thick of the West playoff picture. Ingram should be back by the end of the regular season and will hopefully be able to stay healthy for the playoffs.
Update: Ingram, understandably, has been ruled out for the rest of Thursday’s game. We’ll know more about Ingram’s status Friday since the Pelicans are on a back-to-back set but it feels unlikely he’ll suit up for that game.
New Orleans Pelicans small forward Brandon Ingram suffered a knee injury in Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic, needing some assistance to get to the locker room. Ingram was having a strong game with 14 points on 7-12 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three assists.
Brandon Ingram putting minimal pressure on his left knee as he’s helped back to locker room.
— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) March 22, 2024
The Pelicans have been one of the best teams in the league since the All-Star break, but have struggled in Thursday’s game against a surprising Orlando team this season. The concern at the moment is for Ingram, who has been a strong secondary contributor offensively to Zion Williamson. New Orleans has three players who average 20+ points per game with Ingram being one of them, so it would be hard to replace him should he be sidelined for a while.
If Ingram is going to miss extended time, look for Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy to take on bigger roles. Jones is more versatile, but Murphy has the upside as a scorer and would likely get more usage offensively. Of course, Williamson and CJ McCollum would absorb some of Ingram’s usage as well.
The Pelicans have climbed towards the top of the West and are fighting with the Clippers for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. While Williamson is the most important player for this team, it’ll be hard to pick New Orleans in a playoff series without Ingram on the floor.