Brandon Ingram had all the makings of a star during his initial run with the Los Angeles Lakers after being selected second overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. It is fair to say the former Laker lived up to that billing. However, the conversation is now shifting to the limitations of that stardom.
Ingram had a solid, but easily overshadowed outing in the Toronto Raptors' convincing 126-104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3. The Raptors forward did not force the issue, scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Ingram also added three rebounds, two assists, and two steals to go with that.
BI Bucket to wrap it up 🚮#wethenorth pic.twitter.com/63gpzkghET
— Svyatoslav Rovenchuk (@JJBuckets17) April 24, 2026
It was a step in the right direction for him after a brutal showing in Game 2. That performance set an individual career playoff low and went down in Raptors history among the franchise's lowlights. The uptick in Game 3 ultimately still left a lot to be desired.
Ingram is making $38.1 million in 2025-26. That number is about to climb to $40 million in 2026-27. For the Raptors, that is a hefty price to pay for a player who has noticeably struggled as a featured option in offese during the first-round matchup against the Cavaliers.
Brandon Ingram has to turn it around in these NBA Playoffs before it's too late
Ingram had a strong regular season campaign with the Raptors that secured him the second All-Star appearance of his NBA career. The playoffs are a different animal, though.
The postseason debut for Ingram with the Raptors was not to his liking. The two-time All-Star wanted to be more involved in the offense. He made that public and clear. The two games that have followed have not sufficed for such a bold call-out.
Ingram was supposed to take offensive pressure off Scottie Barnes in Toronto. The idea was to lessen the burden for Barnes on offense, allowing him to maintain his energy levels for the defensive side of the basketball.
In Game 3, Scottie was doing the heavy-lifting on both ends. Offensively, Barnes set two playoff career highs with 33 points and 11 assists.
The supporting offensive act for Barnes in this one turned out to be RJ Barrett. Barrett also set a new career playoff high with 33 points of his own for the Raptors. That performance evoked a strong reaction from Barnes after the game was over.
Where were you for the Jamison Battle game?#WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/nZrynUstaG
— Svyatoslav Rovenchuk (@JJBuckets17) April 24, 2026
Toronto even got big-time performances from Jamison Battle and Collin Murray-Boyles off the bench. Battle was unconscious from beyond the arc, shooting 4-of-4 to contribute to his 14 points. Murray-Boyles was yet another player with a career high scoring night, adding 22 points in the third playoff game of his rookie season.
Ingram was certainly not holding the Raptors back in this one like he did in Game 2. However, there were several other players with more notable contributions that ended up driving Toronto to the win.
The former Lakers forward will enter Game 4 with a lot to prove. Without a definitive star performance during this series, Ingram's long-term fit in Toronto could become a talking point sooner rather than later.