Lonzo Ball has always been a great passer, with excellent vision, but he often struggles shooting the ball, and that’s why he’s yet to live up to the expectations that come along with being a top-two draft pick.
It was said that Ball worked with Pelicans coaches last offseason, leading to a revamped shooting form. His teammates spoke positively about his development, and there was strong belief that he’d show signs of improvement shooting the ball.
And yet, his field-goal percentage remained nearly the same. In fact, it ticked down just a bit. Ball shot 40.6 percent from the field in his final season with the Lakers, yet was 40.3 percent with New Orleans.
But given how great of a passer he is, it’s important for him to knock down shots from the perimeter, to keep defenses honest. Teammate JJ Redick has literally been begging Ball to shoot the ball more, and has faith in his ability to do so, apparently.
Ball did work on improving his three-point shot, going 37.5 percent from the perimeter last season. If he can get that up to 40 percent or thereabouts, that should allow him to get more penetration, which is where he’s most effective.
