Former NBA Champion Destroys the Lakers for Trading Away a 24 Year Old Star Widely Called the Next Kobe Bryant

The first round of the NBA playoffs is heating up now, and the Pelicans shocked everyone by comfortably beating the #1 seed Phoenix Suns to make it 1-1. Brandon Ingram had a poor game 1 against the Suns and scored just 18 points with a FG% of 35.3. But he bounced back in game 2 and almost had a triple-double while helping his team win the game. He had 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists.

This made a lot of fans wonder what could have been if he was still playing for the LA Lakers. And one among them was former Warriors player Festus Ezeli. He Tweeted the Lakers made a mistake by trading away Brandon Ingram.

I know Lakers won a bubble chip but Everytime i see Brandon Ingram hoop i can’t help but think how much of a mistake it was to trade him

— Festus Ezeli (@FestusEzeli) April 20, 2022

And it has certainly made a lot of Lakers fans angry and they are letting him know.

it’s only a bubble chip because the Lakers won it. If it was any other team they would not call it a bubble chip

— DJ DSMOOTH (@DJDSmooth7) April 20, 2022

Omg the AD trade is a mistake cuz BI just beat the first seed without their best player! wasn’t this dude on the 2016 warriors’ roster? 2016 hurts so bad lol.

— Antonio Pieve (@antonio_pieve) April 20, 2022

The Warriors drafted as the 30th pick Festus Ezeli in 2012. While injuries have hampered his career, he has still won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2015.

Did the Lakers make a mistake in trading away Brandon Ingram?

The arrival of Anthony Davis gave the Lakers instant success as they won the NBA championship in 2019-20. But his injury issues have hurt the team in the past two seasons. Davis was only available for 36 regular-season games in the 2020-21 season and for 40 games this season. The Lakers’ gamble paid off, but is it too much for one championship? But LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers could still bounce back next season. 

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Dec 25, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots the ball against the Miami Heat during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Even if the Lakers hadn’t given away Brandon Ingram, they would have had a hard time keeping him and other young players because of salary restrictions. Brandon Ingram on the other hand has been developing consistently, playing for the Pelicans. 

Can Brandon Ingram help eliminate the #1 seed?

The Phoenix Suns’ fans were devastated to see their star player Devin Booker leave the court because of a hamstring issue. He left for the locker room during the third quarter of the game. Even though he returned to the bench in the fourth quarter, they announced he wouldn’t get back in the game.

Booker was having a great game for the Suns. He scored 31 points in just 25 minutes with a FG% of 63.2 and 3P% of 63.6.But the Pelicans were going toe to toe against the #1 seed. So their win can’t just be credited to Booker’s injury. Jonas Valančiūnas had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. And CJ McCollum had a good game with 23 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds.

READ MORE – NFL Legend Enraged as LeBron James “Disqualified” From GOAT Debate After Shaquille O’Neal Blasts Lakers

Who do you think will win this series?

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