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Brandon Ingram shares thoughts on his hot start for Toronto Raptors

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Nov 18 2025, 11:00 am
Brandon Ingram shares thoughts on his hot start for Toronto Raptors
Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images

When Brandon Ingram first came to the Toronto Raptors via trade last season, he had a clear ambition to get away from a tough few seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans.

An All-Star in his first of six seasons with the Pelicans, Ingram’s team never quite got off on the right trajectory in New Orleans. Despite some good moments with the franchise that included winning the NBA’s 2019-20 Most Improved Player, in Ingram’s six years with the team, he won just two playoff games.

“I just knew I needed a fresh start… somewhere where guys played hard, and they listened. And I heard good things about Scottie [Barnes]. I heard good things about [Immanuel] Quickley… I thought it was a good fit offensively and defensively,” Ingram said in his introductory press conference last spring.

Missing what ended up being 10 months between NBA games due to an ankle injury, Ingram spoke in the past about what it was like to go under the radar.

“I’ve been not talked about a lot, I’ve been injured a little bit, so I’ve been forgotten a little bit,” Ingram added this past February. “I feel like coming to Toronto, I have a good chance to sprout a little bit.”

And in his first month of actually getting to play for the Raptors, it’s safe to say that he’s making good on his prediction thus far.

Ingram has averaged 20.9 points, six rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 14 games for the Raptors to begin his time with the franchise, about as good as anyone could’ve predicted. His true shooting mark of 58.1 per cent is also the best he’s seen since 2020-21, showing that he’s still got plenty left to prove to his doubters.

“Coming off an injury, [the organization is] welcoming me, talking to me every single day about just getting back to myself everybody’s just been helping. I feel good when I step into practice, when I step into the arena, whatever it is,” Ingram said in response to a question asked by Offside on Monday night.

Monday night offered Ingram’s possible best game as a Raptor, or at least the one with the most highlights. In the fourth quarter alone, he picked up a highlight-reel dunk over Ryan Kalkbrenner and a block on Kon Knueppel to help seal a tight victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

 

“The energy feels good, especially from my teammates, my coaches,
training staff, from the fans. The energy feels great, and I’m able to come in and
just get better every single game,” Ingram added.

While it’s still early, the Raptors are sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 9-5 record, with Toronto well on its way to looking like a competitive basketball team once again.

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