No player on the Los Angeles Lakers roster had more attention on him last year than Lonzo Ball. Even though he had a solid rookie season, showing off outstanding passing and rebounding along with impressive defense, the focus was almost entirely on his offensive struggles.
In particular, Ball’s jumper was the subject of a lot of scrutiny. He shot just 36 percent from the field and only 30.5 percent from three-point range leading many to criticize his unique shooting form.
Videos released during the offseason showed that Ball had altered his shooting stroke. However, the young point guard doesn’t believe there is much of a difference. “To me, it’s not really changed a lot,” he said at Lakers Media Day.
“I think I just got a lot stronger so I don’t have to really fling the ball like I did last year. It’s moved a little more to the middle but it’s still on the left side.”
There is no doubt that Ball has been in the weight room this offseason due in part to his ongoing knee issues that led to surgery this summer. Just a look at him will show that he has added some muscle to his frame which helps not just his jumper, but also getting through the season as a whole.
Lonzo Ball on his health and improving from last year. #Lakers pic.twitter.com/b6y3JuPD27
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) September 24, 2018
Just as important is the balance, which is something the Lakers focused on with Ball during his rookie season. It’s practically impossible to make any major changes during the season however, so it was always the summer when a difference would probably be seen.
Whether or not the changes are major, what really matters is whether this leads to an improvement in shooting. Becoming a better scorer will only enhance the rest of Ball’s game and lead to him being a real difference maker this year.
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