Brandon Ingram’s Evolution and Newfound Fit with the Toronto Raptors
- Juju
- Oct 10, 2025
- 6 min read
In the midst of a chaotic trade deadline that saw Luka Dončić dealt for Anthony Davis, a move that went under the radar was Brandon Ingram joining the Raptors. A former All-Star in 2020, the Raptors paired Ingram with 2024 All-Star Scottie Barnes, preferring Ingram’s versatile skillset as a primary scorer over RJ Barrett’s drive-heavy offense. Quickly cherished by Raptors fans and nicknamed “The Notorious B.I.3” in reference to his new jersey number, Ingram has already impressed in the preseason as a scorer while showcasing improvements as a 3-point shooter and defender.
Brandon Ingram came into the NBA as a weak 3-point shooter. He preferred to shoot from the mid-range, and his shot from 3 featured a rushed jumper with a slow, strained release.
After being dealt to the Pelicans, Ingram worked on his shot. He became great at setting his feet, faster at releasing the ball, and changed his long-ball form to have a tighter pocket.
The aftermath? 39% from 3 on 6 attempts a game.
However, he remained a weak pull-up shooter from 3, often taking an unnecessary extra second to gather his dribble before firing. Ingram made his money from 3 on catch and shoot attempts, but was not good when facing coverage.
Ingram kept this relative level of skill throughout his time in NOLA. In his final year with the Pels, Ingram shot 31% on 2 pull-up 3-point attempts a game, but a respectable 41% on 4 catch and shoot 3-point attempts a game. Dissecting this further, he shot 29% on 3s vs tight coverage, but 42% in open coverage. He left NOLA with his 3-point skillset being maximized as an open catch and shooter.
Darko Rajaković is a coach known for his offensive development. Holding an impressive resume as an assistant coach for the Thunder, Suns, and Grizzlies, Darko is credited with helping develop talents such as Devin Booker, Desmond Bane, Mikal Bridges, and Victor Oladipo.
As the head coach of the Raptors, Darko has already successfully developed younger players’ perimeter shooting. Gradey Dick shot 25% from 3 for his first 19 career games. Darko rested him for the next 8 games, putting him in a specialized training program. When he came back, Gradey shot a blistering 40% from 3 for the rest of the season; a 40 game sample size.
This “Darko effect” is not exclusive to Gradey. In the 2024 season, newly traded Raptor Ochai Agbaji shot 29% on 3-pointers for the whole 82 game campaign. After an off-season of training with Darko, Ochai ended up shooting 40% the next season; a 78 game sample size.
In 2 preseason games, Darko seems to have improved BI’s long-ball jumper. Still remaining primarily an open catch and shooter, BI has started out the 2026 season shooting a scorching 60% from 3. The ball leaves his fingertips faster than his days in NOLA, and he does not seem to hesitate before firing. BI has shot and scored from both the left and right corners, above the break, and hit a beautiful pull-up 3 in transition. Versus the Sacramento Kings, he was recorded shooting 4/4 from 3 in a single quarter, and finished 5/7.
While I think Brandon will mainly remain an open catch and shooter throughout the season, the increase in release speed is a strong positive. Especially on a team like the Toronto Raptors: a Point 5 offense that is filled with secondary playmakers and guys who can make the extra pass. Playing alongside passers like Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, I would not be shocked if BI’s 3-point numbers reach or exceed the 39% from his 2020 All-Star campaign.
Brandon Ingram has always been among the best wing playmakers in the Association; in the ranks of players like Jayson Tatum, Paolo Banchero, and teammate Scottie Barnes. So far, Ingram has still shown that level of passing ability. He can complete connective passes like most of today’s wings, but BI can hit cross-court passes and deliver passes right into his shooters’ pockets like few wings can.
As a playmaker, Ingram gets downhill using long strides and wide dribble counters (sometimes assisted by a screener/roller), leveraging his mid-range shooting ability through pump fakes or hezis to attract defenders and create good looks for teammates. His playmaking value primarily comes from kicking out to shooters or hitting cutters, and the Raptors have a solid roster for leveraging these skills.
Although Ingram’s playmaking ability derives from his scoring skillset, one of Ingram’s biggest scoring issues has always been his reaction to physically. Like his playmaking, this variable remains the same. Unlike his shooting, I do not notice a notable improvement.
BI can absorb contact, but stronger defenders can bump him and destroy his momentum on a downhill attack, leading to a gathered dribble or a pass. This isn’t always the case, as sometimes he’ll continue a drive through contact. Brandon can even utilize it to his advantage, as he uses his shoulder to bump back before creating separation for a shot. But it has been inconsistent and is usually against weaker defenders, and it doesn’t look to have changed thus far.
One of BI’s other big issues that did change however, was his defense. During media day, new teammate Jakob Poeltl said he believed BI contained the ability to be a positive defender due to his size and wingspan. I echoed this statement.
Ingram provided a decent amount of positive defensive possessions for the Pelicans. The factors that prohibited that positivity from becoming the norm weren’t effort, but skill.
Brandon did a good job on disrupting shots while closing out, with his wingspan providing him great contesting ability. His issues were that he often jumped on almost every shot motion, even pump fakes, and put himself out of position when a player transitioned into a drive.
So far, he’s fixed this up. Ingram hasn’t left his feet unless he’s sure it’s a shot, where his arms go all the way up to bother shots. If it’s not a shot, he does a good job staying grounded and cutting off driving angles with footwork.
BI has also done a better job of using his length on double teams and drop + recover schemes, dropping and moving his long arms to stunt dribbles before quickly recovering to the corner and preventing any advantage.
Lastly, BI’s other main problem on defense was on-ball screen navigation. Against quick ball handlers, this remains an issue. Against slower ball handlers however, like a Keegan Murray, this is a noticeable improvement. He does not stay hard stuck on screens anymore and recovers quicker onto the ball handler. Ingram will then stick to their hip and use those long arms to jab at dribbling and passing angles, before getting back in front.
Brandon moves around the open court well to tag the nearest shooter or cutter, always aware of his role as a helper out the corner, which I believe will remain his optimized role throughout the season. With the amount of perimeter stoppers and athletic defenders the Raptors have, this allows Ingram to primarily stay off-ball in a help defense role. He’ll seldom come on-ball, but now he appears to have a skill to perform if he’s called upon versus slower ball handlers.
Ingram’s improvements highlight the drive that once made way for his All-Star appearance, and highlight a hunger to return to that stage. The preseason is of course a small sample size and to be taken with a grain of salt. But the improvements we’ve seen so far are all abilities that Brandon’s build and talent make him fully capable of carrying into the regular season. With a team like the Raptors who’s roster construction is tailored around many of BI’s strengths, it would not be surprising to see Ingram finish the 2026 year with an All-Star Jersey on a 7th seeded team.
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