Lonzo Ball started this NBA season surrounded by doubts after failing to make the jump in his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The young point guard came a long way to this point, proving his doubters wrong and demonstrating he can be a good player in the league.
Of course, he hasn’t lived up to all the hype around him when he first entered the NBA and he will always carry that but Ball has had some interesting performances this campaign, and right now he’s one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, recording big numbers in February that improved his stats.
Via CBS Sports:
With the NBA trade deadline less than a month away, Lonzo Ball is one of the most interesting names to watch. The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t sign him to a rookie extension this past offseason, choosing to gather more intel before he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. Does he make sense as an increasingly off-ball player next to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram? Was last season’s 3-point-shooting surge a fluke?
Through the first five weeks of this season, Ball didn’t look good. He was shooting 30 percent from 3 and 39 percent overall. The wind seemed to be blowing in the direction of the Pelicans cutting ties with him sooner rather than later. His name came up in a few trade rumors. It was reported that New Orleans previously gauged Golden State’s interest in Ball.
Oh, how times have changed. As of Tuesday, March 2, there are 10 players in the league shooting at least 39 percent from 3 on at least 7.5 attempts per game.
Remember, those numbers include Ball’s dreadful start to the season. Since the start of February, he has been throwing flames: 45.9 percent from 3 on 8.1 attempts per game. That is the highest percentage in the league at that volume over that span. If you lower the attempts baseline to 6.5 per game, the list of guys over 45 percent expands to Jamal Murray, George, LaVine, and Joe Harris. These are some of the best shooters in the world. Ball hasn’t just improved his 3-point shooting; he’s become an actual marksman.
Things didn’t start very well for the former Los Angeles Lakers star but now he’s turning things around, demonstrating he can be good and help his team compete in this season. Lonzo was offered to several teams in recent days, according to reports. He has been drawing attention with his recent performances and he could be a great addition to several contenders around the league.
