Lonzo Ball's detailed shooting struggles only got worse after the Los Angeles Lakers' 111-95 loss to the Washington Wizards at the nation's capital, making the start of his NBA career one of the worst in history.
While the highly-touted rookie reached double digits scoring for the third time in 12 games, it came at the cost of some major inefficiency, shooting a ghastly 3-of-12 from the floor, 1-of-7 from deep, and 3-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Lonzo Ball's struggles haven't been just based on his awkward-looking shot. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Lakers rookie is shooting a mere 35.2 percent in the paint and 23.3 percent outside the paint — both the worst marks in the league with a minimum of 50 field goal attempts.
Lonzo Ball has struggled from all over the floor. He’s shooting 35.2 percent in the paint and 23.3 percent outside the paint. Both are the worst in the NBA (min. 50 attempts). pic.twitter.com/eAdFYbxnI8
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 10, 2017
But his shooting struggles have done more than just impact his scoring average, also limiting his ability to create for others as defenses sag off of him and shade the left side of his body, making it rather uncomfortable for him to get a shot off.
League leaders in assists like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and John Wall are dangerous if left unchecked on the perimeter — and although they're not necessarily knock-down shooters, save for Harden perhaps, they are capable of catching fire if teams allow them to build a rhythm — one Ball has yet to build.
As absurd as it sounds — Lonzo Ball has never shot 50 percent in any game of his professional career and has shot 30 percent or below in 10 of his 12 NBA starts (including his last five), making him a major liability when trusted to take and make a shot, regardless of the area.
Ball lacks the raw athletic ability or corpulence to get himself easy baskets, which in itself has him mired shooting 22.8 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from deep. He hasn't helped himself at the line either, shooting only 45.5 percent this month and 50 percent for his young career.
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