, Van Gundy became the new coach of the Pelicans. At the inauguration press conference, Van Gundy said that he would quickly show the team's potential and build the Pelicans into a team that can win the game. Therefore, tapping the potential of young players in the team has become the top priority. In addition to Zion and Ball, Ingram will also be the focus of Van Gundy's training. In the new season, under Van Gundy's coaching, we may see an Ingram who is more focused on the defensive end, makes fewer mistakes, and attacks the basket more fiercely.
Last season, Ingram was the best player on the team. The 2016 No. 2 show averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game. His excellent performance also allowed him to enter the ranks of the All-Stars. But looking at Ingram's performance on the court, he still has a lot of room for improvement, which is what Van Gundy needs to do in this offseason. The team's vice president David Griffin believes that Van Gundy has the ability to tap the team's potential and he can be a good teacher for young players. The fact is true. Van Gundy has coached Wade, Howard, Nelson and Drummond, and he has some experience in coaching young people. The job of the Pelicans coach is a challenge for Van Gundy, but it is also an opportunity. In helping Ingram, the main question is in what areas Van Gundy can further improve Ingram's ability. We can focus on the following three aspects.
1. Improve defense
The Pelicans' defensive performance last season was very bad, and the team's defensive efficiency ranked 20th in the league. Ingram's personal defense is also problematic. His physical talent is very good, with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Such excellent physical conditions should not be such defensive performance. Ingram's basic defensive skills are insufficient, and at the same time it is easy to distract on the defensive end. Van Gundy needs to find a way to solve these problems. As a defensive coach, Van Gundy has extremely strict requirements for players' defensive discipline on the court. Under Van Gundy's guidance, Ingram must learn to concentrate on the defensive end and stay focused for a long time, otherwise he may not be trusted by Van Gundy. This sounds cruel, but a coach who emphasizes defense should do it, and for Ingram, if his defensive level can be improved, then it is also an improvement for him. Ingram has a pair of long arms, which allows him to easily interfere with the opponent's ball holders and force them to make mistakes. If Ingram can perform well on this point, then he can get more offensively. Opportunity. At the same time, the improvement of Ingram's personal defense level will also strengthen the Pelicans' overall defense. This is also related to whether the Pelicans can win more games in the future.
Second, reduce errors
Van Gundy’s coaching philosophy, control errors is the most important part, because it is directly related to whether the team can win the game. If you want to win, you have to force your opponent to make mistakes while reducing your own turnovers. Ingram averaged three turnovers per game last season, which is a statistic that will drive Van Gundy crazy. Of course, if you watch the previous Pelicans games, you will find that Ingram is very desperate on the court, which may be one of the reasons why he made more mistakes. However, Van Gundy's arrival will help Ingram effectively control his turnover. Ingram is very active on the court, but sometimes he needs to calm down and read the opponent's defense carefully, otherwise it will only have a negative impact on the team. Ingram will often fall into the enemy's heavy encirclement when breaking through. At this time, he can only choose to shoot difficult shots with multiple defenses, or transfer the ball to a teammate who is not in an open position to let them end. This is also a point that Ingram needs to improve. He must trust the other four teammates on the field instead of taking all of them. Van Gundy must have noticed these too. Under his guidance, I believe Ingram will play in a more reasonable way. Compared to scoring ability, sometimes passing ability is equally important. If Ingram's passing level has not been able to improve, opponents will continue to double-team him unscrupulously, which will only cause Ingram to make more mistakes and limit his offensive performance.
Third, inside kills
Ingram averaged 24 points last season and is already an excellent scorer. But he always seems a little hesitant when attacking the basket. He needs to improve his awareness and desire to attack the basket. Last season, the Pelicans scored at the basket.Counting down in the league has a lot to do with Ingram's hesitation when attacking the basket. When Ingram took the ball and hit the paint, he did not choose to attack by himself, but passed the ball to his teammates. The picture appeared repeatedly last season. This point needs to be improved. I believe Van Gundy will also meet Ingram on this issue in time. open discussion. Van Gundy is a coach who emphasizes pick-and-roll tactics. Although it was initiated from the outside, the execution of this tactic is conducive to Ingram's attack to the basket, so as to get a layup or free throw opportunity. Considering Ingram's ability, Van Gundy will most likely allow him to launch a large number of pick-and-roll tactics as a ball-handler and directly attack the basket after squeezing through the screen. This will improve Ingram's scoring efficiency in the paint and at the same time His ability to finish at the basket is also an exercise.
All in all, it is foreseeable that in Van Gundy's offensive system, Ingram will become a scorer who attacks the basket more frequently. At least for now, Van Gundy is a suitable coach for the Pelicans. If he can help Ingram to make progress in the above three areas, then the young man's future will be limitless.
