While the majority of the NBA has been enamored with Lonzo Ball's play, Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley has seen the flaws in his game.
Ball's Los Angeles Lakers took a three-point loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at home, getting a goose egg in contribution from him in the scoring column, as he was 0-for-2 in the game.
Former Laker Shaquille O'Neal offered that a No. 2 overall pick can't lack that aggression and that he's somewhat playing it safe by only passing the ball to avoid criticism for his lack of accuracy (shooting 33 percent from the floor on the season.)
Barkley had a rather simple explanation why Ball hasn't been able to put a string of great performances together during his young NBA career.
“You know why? Because he can't shoot,” said Barkley at the post-game show on TNT. “That's why he don't shoot the ball… He's got this defect in his game because he can only shoot the ball from the left side of his body, so he can only shoot going left, because he can't go right because he's bringing the ball from over here (gesturing the left shot-pocket).
“He's only a half a player right now and guys are taking half of his body away. I told you that during March Madness — he can't go right and shoot the ball, because he's bringing it from way over here. I've watched him play five or six times, the only way he can shoot is going left. Just watch his form.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5aBS6ne_SU
The main difference between college and the pros is that the NBA is a circuit, where teams will play each other again and again, allowing for long-lasting scouting reports — making this an easy adjustment to make for defenders.
Ball's ability to make plays will also be affected by his inability to score, as players start to shade the left side of his body, he'll become unable to pull up comfortably, resulting in either forced plays or bad shots.
While many counted his college resume as an indication of his effectiveness, many overlooked the aspect of taller, bigger, stronger, and smarter defenders at this level, which has heavily limited the ceiling of his talents by completely shutting down this aspect of his game.
Last night, it cost the Lakers a game.
Follow Us
Subscribe