Five things we have learned about the Lakers after one month
By Jason Reed
3. Lonzo Ball’s shot is struggling in the NBA
Before the Los Angeles Lakers selected Lonzo Ball with the second overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft he was already a superstar. His father, LaVar Ball, did a tremendous job of not only marketing Lonzo, but marketing the entire Big Baller Brand that would extend to his other two boys. Ball was destined to be a Laker and was the most talked about rookie since LeBron James.
After a strong NBA Summer League performance Ball seemed to be the real deal. Dropping multiple triple-doubles in the process, Ball won the Las Vegas Summer League MVP award. In doing so, Ball raised his stock and seemed to be the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award.
Now, after one month of play, Ball has somewhat been a disappointment for the Los Angeles Lakers. Overall, statistically, Ball has been pretty decent for a 20-year-old rookie. Ball is averaging 8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game and became the youngest player to ever record a triple-double.
However, his 30.8% field goal percentage is also the worst in the NBA. At first, Ball’s scoring problem seemed to be a lack of aggression. Now, many are looking at his funky shot mechanics and the effects they are having on his game.
We already wrote an in-depth piece on why Ball needs to tweak his shot mechanics. Ball’s critics were right in analyzing his shot; it is not translating well at the NBA level. Closeouts are that much quicker, defenders are that more physical and the same height advantage he had has reduced.
Overall, something needs to change if Ball wants to score. While he has never been touted as a scorer, he needs to at least poise as a threat to reach his ceiling.