Lonzo is cold. The number two overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft has shot the ball as badly as he could. Through 11 games, Ball is shooting 29.5 percent from the field, 23.1 percent from three, and 53.8 percent from the line.
Yikes.
What makes the shooting especially surprising for everyone is how his stats stand in comparison to what he did as a freshman at UCLA. Ball dominated in the college scene with a shooting split of 55.1/41.2/67.3 percent. The manner in which he shot in college included finishes at the rim, step-back three-pointers, deep threes, etc. He wasn't just a spot-up shooter or a finisher at the rim, he played a pivotal role being a facilitator and scorer for the Bruins last year.
How has his shooting not translated into the NBA?
Ball says "It's in my head to be honest. I know I can shoot the ball" per Jeff Goodman.
There's no doubt that Lonzo is a capable shooter, he's already proved that he could do so at UCLA, and maybe his struggles are all in his head. People forget that the rookie just turned 20 and maybe he's still getting adjusted to the NBA game.
But what's frustrating is see is that Zo is taking and missing shots where he's wide open and finds difficulty finishing around the paint. There are a handful of times where he's attacked the rim this season and has found himself getting swatted.
The good news for Lonzo is that it can't possibly get worse from here, right? He's already having a history bad beginning of the season, so as the season progresses he can only trend up. The worst thing that Ball could do is stop shooting. If he stops shooting, he becomes extremely one dimensional with his passing. The point guard in today's NBA needs to be a threat both as a passer and a scorer, so Zo needs to understand that he is a capable scorer. He's done it before and he can do it now.
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