Isaiah Thomas has made it known that he intends to be a starter in any team he is on, but even though he's only started in one of his 17 games with the Los Angeles Lakers, he's still a model teammate to the young core around him — especially Lonzo Ball.

Thomas is encouraging Ball to keep shooting the rock, despite having an unprecedentedly horrid season shooting from all places — 35.1 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from deep, and 46.2 percent from the foul line.

Against the New Orleans Pelicans, Ball shot a ghastly 1-of-12 from deep, cognizant of coach Luke Walton's desire to make him into a more aggressive player. Thomas echoed the same sentiments after the game.

“You keep taking them shots,” Thomas said, according to his own recollection after the game, per Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. “If you get the opportunity, the only thing you can do is miss. The good thing about it, you can make it.”

Ball's shooting woes have become a league-wide knowledge over the course of the season, with the likes of Jrue Holiday leaving him wide open from distance, knowing the percentages played strongly to his favor.

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“They’re obviously doing it for a reason, and they think that’s his weakness, and he’s just got to continue to work,” Thomas said.

The No. 2 overall selection in this year's draft has been streaky with his shot, but not enough to warrant a concern by teams willing to test him on the perimeter.

“The next step is him getting that jump shot down, and once he’s consistent with that, he’s going to be a complete player, and he’s gonna be even harder to guard,” Thomas added. “The main thing about that is just having the confidence to shoot it, not shying away from the moment or the opportunity.”