Brandon Ingram on Return to Lakers: 'I'm Not Coming off the Bench'

Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram wasn't shy about discussing the role he expects to play for the team as he comes off his four-game suspension. 

"I'm not coming off the bench," Ingram said ahead of Monday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, per Bill Oram of The Athletic. "I don't know the lineup, but I know I'll be in it."

Absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder. In Ingram's case, his brief time away from the court led some fans to wonder whether the Lakers are better off with Kyle Kuzma lining up next to LeBron James in the frontcourt.

According to NBA.com, the two-man lineup of Kuzma and James has a 0.6 net rating. Ingram and James collectively have a minus-3.8 net rating.

Kuzma also shot 36.6 percent from three-point range as a rookie in 2017-18. Ingram, by comparison, was a 32.3 percent shooter from long range through his first two years. The Lakers need to stretch the floor in order to maximize James' offensive potential, and Kuzma may be the more complementary piece in that regard. 

Having said that, Ingram is arguably Los Angeles' most promising young star. There's a reason president of basketball operations Magic Johnson told reporters in May the 21-year-old was off limits in any trade negotiations.

Because of that, getting Ingram on the court as much as possible is the sensible move to ensure he forms a strong partnership with James. If that means working through some struggles this season, then so be it. Keeping Ingram in the starting lineup is in the Lakers' best long-term interests.