METAIRIE, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 30: Lonzo Ball #2 of the New Orleans Pelicans poses for a photo during Media Day at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on September 30, 2019 in Metairie, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The Pelicans released video of Lonzo Ball with a new, much more conventional-looking jumpshot form. Has he really fixed his biggest weakness?
As a draft prospect, everyone seemed to be in agreement that jump-shooting was the biggest question for Lonzo Ball. He did make 41.2 percent on nearly 200 attempts in his one season at UCLA but his form was like an Elaine Benes dance move and there was plenty of skepticism about his ability to shoot off the dribble and continue hitting off the catch, considering the contorted wind-up and slow release time.
Those concerns have mostly been born out. His form has been a work in progress with several grainy videos leaking out over the past two years, showing supposed tweaks. But over two seasons he’s still made just 31.5 percent of his 3-point attempts and just 31.6 percent of all jumpshots, per Basketball-Reference.
After missing the entire second half of last season and being included in a summer trade to the Pelicans, Ball has had plenty of time for both existential ennui and shot-doctoring. Yesterday, the Pelicans released video of him draining jumpers in practice and the most noteworthy thing about these 20 seconds is how unremarkable they are.
The most important part of the entire sequence is the end of each shot when the ball goes through the net — that’s how you get the points. But it’s also worth pointing out some other interesting developments. Gone are the syncopated leg kicks, the spinning wrist flair, the MC Hammer leg shimmies. Aesthetically, this is some serious mainstream, mayo-and-American-cheese work. If you couldn’t see Ball’s profile, it could be any 5-foot-7 mid-western eighth-grader putting in work before JV practice starts. It’s a shot even Norman Dale could love.
Of course, four smooth attempts and 20 seconds of video won’t undo two seasons of spastic brick-heaving and Ball will have to make some of these in actual games before his career average can sniff respectability and defenses start adjusting accordingly. Still, for the talented young guard who was supposed to be exceptional, just looking normal from beyond the arc this season would be a welcome change,