National Basketball Association

Coach K: Here's what Brandon Ingram needs to become an NBA star

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:51 p.m. ET

Aaron Torres

The Los Angeles Lakers open their season on Wednesday night against the Rockets, and when they do, it will also be the debut of star rookie Brandon Ingram. The No. 2 overall pick is a guy that fans in L.A. can’t wait to get their eyes on, after he averaged 17 points per game in his one and only season at Duke in 2016.

So what can Lakers’ fans expect in year one from Ingram? Well, a guy who knows him well, shared some pretty unique insight with FOX Sports earlier week.

That man is the guy who coached him in Durham, Mike Krzyzewski, who joined “The Sidelines Podcast with Evan Daniels” on FOXSports.com earlier this week.

Coach K gushed about Ingram --- who played for him both at Duke and as part of the Team USA Select squad this summer --- but also shared a couple of adjustments Ingram will have to make to become a star in the league.

“I do think the adjustment physically in the pros will take a little bit of time,” Coach K told ‘The Sidelines.’ “Also, he had the ball [here at Duke]. In the pros a lot of times, you don’t have the ball, and you have to do something as soon as he gets it.”

“I think that will be an adjustment for him, because he really could be a guard. And we had him in a position where he could bring it up the court or play against a four, we always tried to take advantage of matchups.”

Obviously one of the things that made Ingram so intriguing to the Lakers was the versatility that Coach K mentioned; he’s the kind of guy who can do everything from handle the ball, to come off screens on the wing or even post up on the block down low. That’s probably a level of versatility that won’t be afforded to Ingram on the Lakers, where the offense will almost certainly run through D’Angelo Russell.

Still, it appears as though the sky is the limit for Ingram, and the good news for Lakers fans is that according to Coach K he won’t be an issue off the court either.

“Brandon was a gem to coach,” he said. “Family-wise, work ethic, you talk about kids who are ‘no maintenance.’ In other words, he’s coming every day, he’s a great kid, no demons, no problems and he’s really darn good. And he wants to get better. That’s who Brandon was.”

To hear more of Evan’s interview with Coach K and their conversation about Brandon Ingram, Team USA and all things basketball, you can listen above or download the podcast off iTunes.

You can also subscribe to the podcast below.

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