2018-19 NBA Preview: Areas of improvement for each Lakers youngster

#2 Brandon Ingram: Spot-up shooting

Ingram projects as an able wing player already, but to reach All-Star contention in the bloodbath that is the Western Conference, he needs to be able to punish opponents from the perimeter much more

The Lakers drafted a real diamond in the rough in Brandon Ingram 2 seasons back, picking him with the No.2 overall pick. His play during his rookie year did nothing to dispel that notion, but the considerable strides he made in just his second professional season were clear signs of a sharpening and the seasoning required of a raw prospect like him.

Ingram projects as an able wing player already, but to reach All-Star contention in the bloodbath that is the Western Conference, he needs to be able to punish opponents from the perimeter much more.

He shot nearly 40% on limited attempts from 3-point range last season, but with three other playmakers on the squad, expect his spot-up attempts to go up drastically from where they were last season.

LeBron-led teams have always had gunners ready to go from range, but this version of the Lakers has only one player filling that specific role in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Ingram averaged better on open looks than on closed looks, as well as having a better average on spot-up shots than pull-up shots - pointers to a still-unharnessed ability to torch teams from the perimeter.

It's high time now, however, for him to make good on a much bigger volume of 3-pointers.