Lakers’ Brandon Ingram experiencing rookie growing pains

The past week offered an example of the ebbs and flows of a teenager’s rookie season.

Brandon Ingram had what Lakers Coach Luke Walton called perhaps his best game as a Laker on Friday, then on Sunday Ingram joined the starting lineup as the group’s point guard and struggled in the record-setting 49-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

He didn’t feel as aggressive, and it was a change Walton recognized.

“I don’t think I was,” Ingram said. “I don’t think I flowed into it well. When trying to be aggressive I think I took up a few easy ones for some difficult shots. Just looking at film and trying to respond in the next practice.”

The Lakers will be without their regular starting point guard again during this two-game trip to Portland and Salt Lake City. D’Angelo Russell did travel with the team, but he won’t play for the rest of the week, possibly another two weeks. For the games, Walton is pondering altering the starting lineup.

“We’re still discussing it,” Walton said. “Like I said, that group did all right to start the game, it was 23-22 at one point before it got out of hand and a lot of those minutes were with that first group. It still felt a little off, so we might make some changes to the lineup again.”

Sunday’s game marked the second time Ingram started for Russell — the first time was against the Cleveland Cavaliers and he nearly notched his first triple double.

Getting Ingram to play aggressively has been part of Walton’s task this year, but he has noticed that Ingram is less aggressive with the starting group, which includes Luol Deng, Timofey Mozgov, Julius Randle and Nick Young, than he is when playing with the second unit.

“The first group style of play is much more — it’s not as spaced, it’s not as fast, it’s not as free flowing as our second unit, which I think is an advantage when Brandon’s running point,” Walton said. “He’s better playing point with the second group because of the style of play for sure.”

Another option to start in place of Russell is veteran point guard Jose Calderon, whom Walton considered starting Sunday in Dallas.

“Jose’s a natural point guard,” Walton said. “He’s been doing it for 20 years now. he’s obviously a space shooter. They’ve gotta respect him and create some more opportunities for other players. He’s more a traditional point guard.”

Etc.

Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said NBA players were making a mockery of All-Star voting, and Walton agreed. “I’m all for the players voting,” Walton said. “It’s their league if they want to do it. But if they want, if they’re gonna ask for it, then they should take it seriously and vote guys who have put in the work and time to be elite at this level. They should be rewarded and it shouldn’t be something to joke with.” … The Lakers ranked third in NBA merchandise sales from October to December, the NBA said in a release. … Julius Randle, Mozgov, Young, Ingram and Calderon each got two All-Star votes from players. Jordan Clarkson, Marcelo Huertas, Luol Deng, Larry Nance Jr., Thomas Robinson and Russell each got one vote.

tania.ganguli@latimes.com

Follow Tania Ganguli on Twitter @taniaganguli