Top 10 NBA Rookie of the Year Candidates Entering 2016-17

The highly coveted second overall pick is slotted to come off the bench behind Luol Deng to begin the season, which is the main reason why he doesn’t find himself placed higher up in these rankings. As one of the more intriguing talents in this year’s draft class, Ingram’s lanky scoring threat is something Luke Walton will likely be willing to rely on heavily in the second unit for a budding Lakers roster, and his ability in playing either forward position could increase his production even more.

There are obvious concerns surrounding Ingram’s body as his makes his way into the league. Despite his incredible wingspan and excellent mobility at 6-9, he could be challenged by his rail-thin build when facing more mature and physical opponent. He’s the type of knockdown shooter that should find immediate production spacing the floor alongside Los Angeles’ skilled backcourt. Still, his game could be limited as he builds up to driving down the lane.  He will need time to develop finishing off tougher shots underneath.  That is a timeline that may suffer from his physicality disadvantage.

All things considered, the raw upside Ingram has in a Luke Walton-led regime is undeniably appealing. They’re likely to get out in transition and push the pace consistently, which Ingram will excel. He runs the floor in long strides and is extremely difficult to cover from any position. Despite his lack of bulk, he is at home at the perimeter. The Lakers still don’t have an overwhelming amount of bench talent to draw from, and Ingram will be an integral part of the rotation regardless of how prominently Deng is featured as the starter.

Ingram’s defensive versatility could gain him some extra consideration in the race as well. His ability to stick with almost any position in combination with his physical gifts should offer him ample block shots, while his aptness in turning turnovers into instant offense in the form of a fast break was constantly noticeable during his brief tenure with Duke.

While he may not appear as the most NBA-ready talent in the draft, his overall skill level puts him into these rankings without much doubt whatsoever. He has the pure scoring stature of somebody capable of working his way into the starting lineup with time, and his talents are something the rebuilding Lakers should be highly focused on developing. He has the potential to be the cornerstone of this franchise moving forwards in some capacity, and overlooking him is both difficult and unreasonable.