Before the NBA hiatus in March, New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball was playing some of the best basketball of his pro career.
Unfortunately for the Pelicans, Ball wasn't able to recapture his pre-hiatus form down in Orlando and it hurt the team big time, as New Orleans was eliminated from postseason contention after losing to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
While speaking to Pelicans reporters on Monday about his subpar play in Orlando, Ball took ownership of his struggles and admitted he feels like he let his teammates down.
“I feel like I let the team down,” Lonzo Ball said, via Lonzo Wire. “I know I’m a big part of it. Usually, when I play well, we win and, obviously, I didn’t play well this trip. We’re going home early and I have to live with that.”
In six games at Walt Disney World, Ball is averaging 5.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists while shooting a woeful 26.0 percent from the field, 19.2 percent from beyond the arc and 42.9 percent from the free-throw line. The Pelicans guard has been a shell of himself on offense and can't hit a basket from the perimeter.
As a result, the Pelicans are only 2-4 in Orlando and will now have to play two meaningless games before leaving the bubble campus for good.
New Orleans has a bright future ahead, but it's clear the team has plenty of things to address this offseason, one of them being Ball's jumper. Although the former No. 2 overall pick improved his shooting splits this season, Ball still has a long way to go before he can call himself an average NBA jump shooter.
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