Brandon Ingram Ruled Out vs. Spurs After Ankle Injury Diagnosed as Sprain

Los Angeles Lakers swingman Brandon Ingram suffered an ankle injury during the first half of Wednesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs. ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin reported the Lakers ruled Ingram out at the start of the second half.

Mike Trudell of 710 AM ESPN Los Angeles added Ingram suffered a sprained left ankle and his X-rays were negative.

Per Trudell, Josh Hart took Ingram's spot in Los Angeles' lineup.

This is another setback for Ingram after he suffered a concussion, groin strain, ankle and quad injuries during the 2017-18 campaign after he was healthy for much of his rookie season and played 79 games. He appeared in just 59 contests last season.

The Duke product showed flashes of his potential as a rookie with 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game but made noticeable strides in his second season with 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game behind 47.0 percent shooting from the field.

He was averaging 15.7 points on 46.6 percent shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

Ingram can attack opposing defenses off the dribble as a matchup problem but also extend his offensive attack to the perimeter with his three-point shooting. He can also serve as someone who handles the ball and facilitates or scores from the wing.

While Ingram is an important part of the Lakers' core moving forward, they still have other pieces to shoulder the load. Things start with LeBron James when it comes to versatile forwards carrying the offense, but Los Angeles can also turn toward Kyle Kuzma, Lance Stephenson and Hart on the wing following this setback.