Brandon Ingram last appeared in a game Oct. 29 vs. Sacramento, a stretch that has seen New Orleans lose all six games it has played since. The Pelicans would be thrilled to get the 25-points-per-game scorer back in uniform from a right hip contusion soon; one positive step in that direction occurred Thursday, with Ingram’s return to practice in the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. The 2020 All-Star forward was pleased to be back with his teammates and playing 5-on-5 fullcourt.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Ingram said. “I tried some different moves on the floor that I had struggled with in the past. It felt good today, just to get up and down (the court) again… I made progress over the last week and a half and I continue to get better.”
Asked whether he will be able to play during this weekend’s home back-to-back vs. Brooklyn and Memphis, Ingram responded, “Hopefully. I don’t have an answer for that, but hopefully I can play this weekend.”
“It’s promising,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said of Ingram potentially playing against the Nets on Friday after Ingram participated in Thursday’s practice. “I don’t know his exact status right now. He’s still day-to-day, but it’s definitely promising to see him on the floor right now.”
Green acknowledged that he was frustrated by New Orleans’ 108-100 home loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Asked how he evaluates his players beyond the team’s current record of 1-11, Green replied, “The day after (a game), come in and watch the tape and see if our guys are improving. Are they taking the things we’re asking them to do, and are they getting better at them? I can honestly say they are (improving). But it takes time. The frustration from last night was our approach to the game. Because we were playing Oklahoma City, there wasn’t a sense of urgency that our team normally plays with. That’s what frustrated me. We can’t be that type of team, (basing our approach on) who we’re playing against.”