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Los Angeles Lakers: Each young players’ most-needed improvement

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 05: Head coach Luke Walton talks with Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center on January 5, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 05: Head coach Luke Walton talks with Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center on January 5, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Lonzo Ball: Free throw shooting

Some would say that Lonzo Ball’s biggest area for improvement next season should be from beyond the arc and that is fair. Ball was not great at shooting three-point shots last season and saw a huge drop off from his production at UCLA.

All of a sudden, his quirky jump shot became the forefront of many conversations and his inability to shoot the three limited him as a point guard, at least in the eyes of some.

However, Ball showed at times that he could be efficient from beyond the arc. And while he may never be a sharpshooter, the Lakers do not need him to be. With James and so many other scoring options, the Lakers do not need an off-ball shooter, especially when Ball will be handling the basketball a lot.

Instead, Ball really needs to work on his free throw shooting. Last season, he shot 45.1 percent from the free throw line.

Quite frankly, that is nothing short of terrible and is only going to make Ball a hassle to keep in late in games. Opposing defenses can begin to target Ball and “hack a Shaq” on a point guard, something that is not often done.

The Lakers are not great as a unit in shooting free throws and improving that metric as a team starts with the point guard.

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