After an unceremonious thud out of the playoffs in a four-game sweep, the Pelicans and star Brandon Ingram were understandably frustrated.
But for Ingram himself, the frustrations span beyond the struggles from the play-in tournament and first round against the Thunder. Since his run with Team USA last summer, he's not satisfied with his performance in New Orleans.
"From Team USA up to this season, is probably ... the worst that I’ve been in a New Orleans Pelicans uniform, and I’m motivated by that," Ingram said. "I can go back and I can blame coaches. I can blame everybody else but myself, but, you know, I’ve got to go look at myself in the mirrow and tell myself what I really need to do, how can I help this team. How can I help the coaches and how do I get the fans in New Orleans to believe in us again, and you know, that’s my job. That’s my task."
Ingram's postseason struggles can be at least somewhat pinned on the knee injury that cost him a majority of the final month of the season before returning in the finale against the Lakers, a game the Pelicans needed to win to stay out of the play-in tournament. Ingram's struggles were so great in the team's play-in loss that he spent the final 5 minutes on the bench, the same game Zion Williamson left with a hamstring injury that would keep him out the rest of the way.
In four games against the Thunder, Ingram averaged 14.3 points on 35.5% shooting and went and went 2-for-8 on 3-point attempts. The Pelicans failed to crack 92 points in any of the games, and scored 85 and 89 in the two home losses that sealed the season. Ingram said he never really felt like himself in the postseason run, and that it would sit with him, though it was about more than that. Ingram had his lowest scoring season since joining the team in 2019.
"Nobody is more motivated or more mad than I am about where I am right now and what happened throughout this playoffs," Ingram said, "what happened before the playoffs, what happened throughout the season. … Nobody gotta go home and live with that every single day, so the scrutiny, I mean, to a certain extent, if I see it, maybe it brings motivation, but I’ve got everything I need."
The work will get done, but the practical question will come in the form of dollar signs. Ingram is entering the final year of a 5-year, $158 million contract signed prior to the 2020-'21 season. Ingram is eligible for an extension, but he said on Monday evening that it's not something he's put much thought into quite yet. It'll be a question for the team, considering his expiring deal could be a trigger in any trade negotiations, should things go that route.
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Still, he made it clear how he felt about the city of New Orleans and that he'd like to remain if possible.
“This is the place where I got my first All Star … where they let me be myself. I got good relationships around here, but you never know," Ingram said. "I’ll just take a few weeks off and think about what’s best for me, what’s best for my family and I’ll take it from there, but you know, no matter what I’ve got a lot of love for the city of New Orleans, for the fans, they’ve done nothing but treat me right. You know, listen, there’s some unfinished business here.”