OKLAHOMA CITY _ Luke Walton wasn't going to hand over this responsibility without knowing the person to whom he was giving it wanted to take it.
So he asked Brandon Ingram.
"We needed him to tell us he wanted that challenge," Walton said. "And we needed to know that he'd push the pace for us."
Ingram said he did. So Walton started him at point guard in place of the injured Lonzo Ball. It was a way for Walton to try something new after the Lakers had struggled for two games, but also a way to force Ingram, who has been inconsistent since returning from an ankle injury, to be more engaged in the offense.
For this game it worked. In the Lakers' 102-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, Ingram nearly had a triple-double: 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. He did push the pace, allowing the Lakers to play closer to the speed at which they like to play.
"The way he explained it, he just wanted me to be aggressive," Ingram said after the win. "He wanted me to be aggressive and get in the lane and make plays for myself and make plays for my teammates. I just tried to do the best job of pushing the pace tonight and making sure guys were happy with their shots."
Using Ingram this way could be a solution for the Lakers until Ball returns, provided the groin tightness Ingram felt after Friday's game doesn't linger. He is questionable for Sunday's game in Oklahoma City.
The Lakers had been starting Tyler Ennis at point guard, with Alex Caruso backing him up. Ball has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Thunder and it's possible he misses the Lakers' first game back at Staples Center, too.
This position isn't new for the 6-foot-9 Ingram. He's played it occasionally this season and the Lakers tried him running point some last season.
It's part of his basketball pedigree, too. In high school in Kinston, N.C., Ingram was his team's excessively tall point guard.
But at the NBA level, Ingram is still learning how to let that position come naturally to him.
"The transition was better tonight," Ingram said. "I think the way we pushed the pace we caught the defense off guard a little bit. I think before (at) times I was reserved a little bit trying to get my teammates involved."
