Just three games into the season, the Pelicans are facing an injury crisis with both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram picking up injuries in Sunday night’s loss to the Utah Jazz.
Ingram sustained a concussion during the first quarter of the game and was subsequently placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.
What’s next for Ingram? Here’s everything we know about his injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
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What is Brandon Ingram’s injury?
Ingram sustained a concussion after racing back on defense to halt a Jazz fastbreak, inadvertently colliding with teammate Naji Marshall.
The 25-year-old immediately went to the bench and while he played briefly in the second quarter, he exited the game for good with 5:44 remaining in the first half.
He scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in 11 minutes on the court.
Through the first three games of the season, Ingram has been one of the Pelicans’ most productive players, averaging 22.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 57.9 percent shooting and 57.1 percent from the 3-point line.
How long will Brandon Ingram be out?
Ingram was forced to be sidelined for at least one game due to the NBA’s concussion protocol, which states that players have to wait 24 hours before beginning the return-to-participation process. It looks as though he’ll miss much more than that.
According to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, Ingram didn’t travel with the team to Phoenix for their upcoming game against the Suns,
Zion and Herb will be questionable for Friday’s Game.
Ingram won’t be on the trip.
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) October 27, 2022
After their game in Phoenix, the Pelicans will travel to LA to play the Lakers and Clippers. Their next home game will be on Nov. 4 against the Warriors.
What is the NBA’s concussion policy?
Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Ingram must go through the return-to-participation process, which begins 24 hours after the time the injury was sustained.
The player is monitored by team physicians for 24 hours for the evolution of symptoms, with the return-to-participation process including a series of tests, including a ‘focused neurological examination’ ensuring the player exhibits symptom-free behavior before resuming basketball activities.
The team’s physician will consult with the Director of the NBA Concussion Program, before making a final return-to-participation decision.
With each player treated on a case-by-case basis, there is no timeframe to complete the process and is dependent on the player’s response.
Brandon Ingram career stats, highlights
- 18.5 points per game
- 5.2 rebounds per game
- 3.8 assists per game
- 0.6 blocks per game
- 0.7 steals per game
- 2.4 turnovers per game
- 32.8 minutes per game
- 46.2 percent shooting
- 36.1 percent 3-point shooting
- 76.9 percent free throw shooting
