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The only question is when that happens.
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Published Nov 18, 2025 • 4 minute read
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (right) drives into Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges during the second half in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. Photo by Nathan Denette /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Brandon Ingram has looked quite good in his early days as a Raptor, but the belief of Ingram and those who know his game well is there’s a higher level still to be reached.
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The only question is when that happens.
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Ingram scored a game-high 27 points in Monday’s thrilling home win over the Charlotte Hornets and also found RJ Barrett for a game-winning layup after being double-teamed and had a crucial blocked shot to help save the game (one of three blocks on the night for Ingram, tied for the second-most he’s managed in his long NBA career).
He’s playing some of the best all-around basketball yet, averaging 20.9 points at close to career bests in field goal and free throw percentage, rebounds, steals and blocks per game. In fact, only Kawhi Leonard and Barrett averaged more points than Ingram has amongst Raptors in their first 14 games with the club (Ingram’s actually tied with Rudy Gay at 292 points, though Gay was hoisting nearly four more shots per game than Ingram has). Yet, Ingram is doing this while shooting a career-low 27.9% on three-point shots and while not yet being 100% athletically, since he’s still ramping up after not playing for about 10 months following last year’s severe ankle injury suffered while still with New Orleans.
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“It felt good,” Ingram said of his big dunk against Charlotte, which was reminiscent of a memorable James Johnson jam on Detroit’s Andre Drummond back in the day and had Toronto’s bench leaping for joy.
“I haven’t been able to jump that high in a while. Being out since December just trying to figure out how I can get my legs under me so that definitely was a confidence builder just being able to get to the rim, finish over the top,” Ingram added.
Asked by Postmedia whether he can feel the progress day-by-day or week-by-week, Ingram said it’s still not consistent.
“Every day is different. Some days I feel real good, some days I don’t feel that great,” he said, “but it’s coming along. It’s only been 13, 14 games, so it will soon come,” Ingram said of regaining his lift.
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Teammate has seen this before
Teammate Garrett Temple agrees that there’s more to unlock for Ingram. They also played together in New Orleans for two seasons, including 2022-23, arguably Ingram’s finest yet.
“My second year there with him in New Orleans, he really got to a point where he was really explosive, getting downhill, doing dunks like that regularly,” Temple told Postmedia after the win over the Hornets. “So to see that, I know it’s really good for his psyche, just you can understand feeling like his body is getting back to where he wants it to be.”
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic and star forward Scottie Barnes added in their post-game availabilities that Ingram is already unlocking a lot for the team.
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“It’s getting there, it’s not still there to (100%),” Rajakovic said of Ingram’s athleticism, “but it’s coming back. And then when he has that type of pop and he’s playing above the rim, he’s a scary player for all opponents.”
Ingram has helped unlock the best of Barnes, who has been Toronto’s best player and one of the best in the entire league.
“(Opponents) know how dangerous he is. He’s been killing them all game on the post ups, (isolations), so you got to send help,” Barnes said of the play that won the game. “It was a great cut by RJ. So him making that extra play right there put us in the lead. You know, (Ingram) draws so much attention. He’s so talented. Once he gets to the spots, it’s unstoppable.”
Finding a balance
The danger with Ingram, given he’s one of the best five pure scorers Toronto’s ever employed, is that he might try to do too much. At times in Monday’s fourth quarter he was forcing the issue, leading to turnovers or bad shots, so he made a change late, even if he thought about carrying on the same way.
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“I wasn’t able to be that patient earlier in my career. Even the year before last. But just seeing it over and over again, I took a few deep breaths, I knew I had to be patient because I knew they were going to send two (defenders at him) and I knew I didn’t want to turn the basketball over,” Ingram said.
“So if they didn’t come, I was going to shoot a turnaround on (guard Collin Sexton), because he’s too small and if they sent two, I might have still shot it, but I was just looking for the open play.”
Whatever the reasoning, it’s mostly working for Ingram and the Raptors. Toronto won its fourth straight game Tuesday and has now lost only once in the previous nine games (at the 76ers on Nov. 8) with a shot at revenge in Philadelphia looming on Wednesday night.
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