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The Los Angeles Lakers have been pleasantly encouraged by the play of rookie point guard Lonzo Ball through the first seven games of the Las Vegas Summer League.
However, there have remained detractors concerning his shooting ability as he's struggled with his shot at times over the last couple of weeks. During a radio interview on Monday with Mornings with Keyshawn, Jorge and LZ on ESPN LA 710, LaVar Ball dismissed any notion that his son's shot needs to be altered.
“Oh, ain't nobody tinkering with his shot. He's going to shoot the same way, comfortable, like I said, who cares about his shot,” he said.
“Here's the thing, he missed a lot of shots in the first few games. They act like the percentage is going to stay there. He'll go about four or five games where he'll go 4-for-5, 6-for-8. It will catch up with him. So it's not a big deal. And it'll come out to a percentage where he's always been, in the high 40s.”
The 19-year-old is currently hitting at 38.2 percent clip from the field heading Monday's Summer League title game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He has picked up his play in other areas averaging 16.3 points, 9.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. This includes notching two triple-doubles and leading the Summer League in assists.
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His special passing ability has been on full display in each contest as he continues to make impressive assists on a nightly basis. This has in many ways overshadowed his shooting woes.
Ball's shot may not be the conventional shooting form, but he has shown in the past that he can be an effective shooter. In his lone season at UCLA, he shot 55.1 from the field and 41.2 from beyond the arc. Granted, it may have been against inferior competition at the collegiate level but it still shows he can shoot the ball well enough.
Quite honestly, it's always going to be something that draws more attention and criticism when he struggles for extended periods of time. He may make some minor changes to his shot form down the road, but for time being don't expect Ball shake things up in any fashion.
