Only once in the 64-year history of the award has a member of the Los Angeles Lakers taken home Rookie of the Year honors, with Elgin Baylor winning in 1959 when the franchise was based out of Minneapolis.
In fairness, the Lakers have been a model of excellence throughout a majority of their existence, only recently hitting rock bottom as one of the league's laughing stocks as five-time champion Kobe Bryant, who recently retired, battled Father Time and a slew of injures to boot. As a result, the team has been mostly devoid of lottery picks, which is where eventual winners tend to fall.
Duke's Brandon Ingram was taken second overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, which is the second time in as many years the team has selected at that position. In what's widely considered to be a top-heavy class, the 18-year-old small forward is one of the heavy favorites to earn the Eddie Gottlieb trophy, and in a transition year as a result of Bryant's departure, Ingram could have plenty of opportunities to shine at the Staples Center.
"That’s something that is on my mind," Ingram said in a phone interview with the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina. "All rookies want to win Rookie of the Year. That’s something that drives me."
Most first-year players drafted as a top-three pick are thrown right into the line of fire opening night as starters, which is usually because the teams selecting them are in desperate need of immediate production,
In Ingram's case, there's a very real possibility he'll be coming off the bench under new head coach Luke Walton. Veteran Luol Deng was signed to a four-year, $72-million contract over the summer, and barring Walton going full-blown youth movement with his lineup, Deng should and, in all likelihood, will be starting at the three spot.
That may be the best for Ingram's development, as he's still extremely young with a very thin build. Learning by watching a proven talent like Deng could be good for him out of the gate. But regardless of what his role will end up being, Ingram is ready to put in the work to help put his name on the map.
"I know there’s going to be bumps in the road," Ingram said. "There’s a lot of guys out here that are going to want to beat me up. There are a lot of veterans out here. I just have to fight through it and be the best player I can be on the court."
Other players who should also be in the running for Rookie of the Year include Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kris Dunn of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Canadian Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets.
