Brandon Ingram Reveals How He'll Help Clippers Once He Returns

The Los Angeles Clippers have lost seven straight games, and the most recent one went to overtime.

Forward Brandon Ingram has not played yet this season, but he spoke to reporters on Friday about what he plans to add once he is back on the floor, and his answer should give a struggling team and its fans a reason to feel better about the weeks ahead.

Before talking about himself, Ingram said he wanted to commend his teammates, because everybody is in new positions and being asked to do more, and he added that they are playing really good defense while trying to figure things out on offense.

Then he described his own role, as USA Today reported.

"When I come in, I want to play make, make it a little bit easier for guys to catch and shoot, and not have to make so many decisions."

He also said he wants to be able to score when it gets down to it, and that is exactly what this team has been missing late in games.

The Clippers are 1-7, and their latest loss was a 117-116 overtime defeat to the Miami Heat on Nov. 4.

Ingram came to Los Angeles in the trade that sent forward Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, a deal agreed to on June 30 that was not made official until Sept. 14 because of the league's investigation into the Clippers.

In May, Ingram had surgery on his right heel, and doctors also found and repaired a partially torn Achilles tendon during that procedure.

He was an All-Star with Toronto last season, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 77 games.

NBA writer Justin Russo reported that he has progressed to full-contact work, but a firm date for his debut has not been announced.

He is earning $40 million this season and holds a $41.9 million player option for 2027-28, so the Clippers need him to be a big piece.

Ingram's words line up with what guard Darius Garland said at media day, when he predicted that their pick-and-roll would be the first thing the team goes to once Ingram is healthy.

That two-man game could give Los Angeles a reliable play in close games.

Ingram also gave credit to guard Max Strus, who has had a big impact since making his season debut.

With Strus and others able to space the floor, an Ingram who draws defenders and moves the ball could make the offense much easier to run.

There is already plenty of talk about how the rotation will look when fully healthy, but the Clippers need wins now.

Guard Bradley Beal is still out with knee inflammation, and the team hosts New Orleans at Intuit Dome on Sunday, Nov. 8.

I believe Ingram can solve a lot of the problems behind this streak, especially in crunch time.

He cannot fix everything on his own, but a player who can create his own shot and set up others is exactly what Los Angeles needs as it tries to dig out of this hole.