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After three consecutive seasons of hovering around the .500 mark or worse, the Toronto Raptors enter the new campaign with something to prove.

As Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes, the team carries a collective edge – a “chip on the shoulder” mentality – into training camp and beyond.

That sentiment is especially true for Brandon Ingram, the franchise’s most notable offseason addition.

Ingram, once hailed as one of the NBA’s rising stars after winning Most Improved Player and earning his first All-Star appearance in 2019/20, has since battled injuries and the inconsistency of an underachieving Pelicans team.

Those circumstances left him somewhat overlooked in league-wide conversations, despite his considerable talent.

According to veteran Garrett Temple, Ingram isn’t the only Raptor with something to prove.

“Scottie (Barnes) was the No. 4 pick, but everyone was like, ‘Why are they picking you No. 4?’ RJ (Barrett) and (Immanuel Quickley): Toronto wanted you, but New York obviously traded you,” Temple told Koreen.

“BI, New Orleans traded you. Ochai (Agbaji) got traded after (in his second season). You can look guys down the line: ‘Gradey (Dick), are you really good enough to play in the NBA, or is it just show?’ You can look at a lot of our players, and there’s a reason to have a chip on the shoulder. I think that’s what brings a lot of people together.”

Still, while many on the roster are embracing that mindset as motivation, Ingram cautioned against letting external validation drive his play.

“I think when you go try to prove yourself to other people, it never works out,” he said on Monday. “If you look too far and try to impress people, you’ll take failures more.”

Instead, Ingram is focused on letting his game speak for itself. In a report from Michael Grange of Sportsnet, the forward showcased his versatile scoring during Toronto’s annual end-of-camp scrimmage.

Grange noted that Ingram’s ability to generate points both on and off the ball gives the Raptors a dynamic offensive skill set they haven’t had in years.

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