Brandon Ingram has been balling out lately. In the six games he’s played since the All-Star break, he’s averaged 27.8 PPG on 57% shooting. He’s also grabbed 7.5 boards a night. It seems as if Ingram has finally found his comfort zone in the NBA, and he may begin to turn into the player everyone hoped he’d be.
Yet, as it’s been with the Lakers all season long, what goes up must come down. In Ingram’s case, his season has come to an abrupt and scary end. On Saturday, it was announced his shoulder soreness was due to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his right arm. The Lakers determined that he’d be sitting for the remainder of the season.
What’s the real severity of this condition? Should the Lakers be worried?
DVT may sound familiar to sports fans. 2x NBA Champion Chris Bosh suffered from it twice, resulting in his retirement. Serena Williams also had problems with blood clots in the past.
In simple English, DVT is a blood clot that can cause life-threatening complications if left untreated. The good news is that it’s easily treatable with blood thinners. The bad news is that athletes can’t compete while on blood thinners due to their prevention of clots in the blood. This is good because it prevents unwanted blood clots from forming, but cuts and internal bleeding can’t heal themselves. The results can be fatal.
Fortunately for Los Angeles, Brandon Ingram will only miss a few months due to the blood thinners. Seeing as the Lakers have a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs, this condition won’t have any immediate negative effect on them (it may even increase the chances of the Lakers drafting Zion). The real problem is the risk of it happening a second time.
As Alex Kennedy tweeted, Ingram’s DVT could be a fluke, and the Lakers will have nothing to worry about. There’s a chance, however, that he could develop another blood clot in the future, which would be most likely career-ending.
Conclusion
Brandon Ingram’s injury isn’t something for the Lakers to worry about. Yet. They won’t be making the playoffs this season, and with LeBron on a minutes restriction, it’s clear they’re in late-season tank mode. If a second clot develops, it could mean the end of Ingram’s young career. Should the Lakers continue to develop him and take the risk, or should LA explore trading him this offseason?
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