[IlladelphParticipant]

This is a real strange one.  Ball is rebounding and assisting like crazy.  Defensively he is pretty decent.  For a rookie, he is doing extremely well…. EXCEPT for that little thing called shooting.  He is now the worst three point shooter in the league.  He is the worst free throw shooter in the league.  I don’t get it.

At UCLA he shot 41% from deep, 73% from two-land, and 67% from the stripe.  Those numbers in the NBA?  25%, 36.3%, and 42.9% from the stripe.  He is scoring 9 points per game off of over 11 shots per game.  Ouch!

Any thoughts on this?  Is it the pressure of having a dad like Lavar?  Is it the bright lights of L.A.?  Is it some weird mental block?  Or is the NBA just too fast and big for him to get his weird-looking shot off like he did in college?  Granted it’s only 19 games into the season but still.  Those numbers are pretty bad.  And it’s not like the kid can’t run an offense.  He’s averaging 7.7 apg, and 8 rebounds per game.  He can distribute and has great court vision.  But that shooting though…  Am I being too judgy too early in the season?  Is this just a rookie transition thing?  For a #2 pick, I expect him to be a lot better offensively down the stretch.  At least make those damn free throws!

[ChewyParticipant]

 The length of nba athletes, the speed and quickness everyone can move with, the speed and rotation of help side defenders are all significantly higher than what he saw in NCAA. If he still has these shooting numbers next year, then I’ll start getting worried. For now, I’d just call them growing pains and continue giving him big minutes to develop.

MCW won rookie of the year shooting 40% FG, 26% 3, and 70% FT

Rubio as a rookie 35% FG, 34% 3, and 80% FT

Lonzo’s number need to go up, but there is room in the NBA for all around-pass first PGs still. If Ingram and Kuzma are knocking down shots then that will help Lonzo too. 

 

 

 

[Dog_ShammdogParticipant]

 His jumper is fundamentally awful but he’s made it work all the way up until this point.  I think the length, quickness, pressure etc is hurting him and the obvious inefficiencies in his jumper, but one thing i haven’t heard anybody mention yet is the transition from playing with composite leather bballs to the NBA’s genuine leather basketballs.  He slings his shot and I believe the more slick/less sticky NBA ball is giving him problems.  Personally, I do not like genuine leather/non-composite basketballs and my jumper is much more conducive to shooting with one than Lonzo’s, so i could definitely see him not liking it either…. But that’s not the type of thing he’d bring up or complain about.

I’ve still been encouraged by his play and don’t believe the shooting struggles will be this severe for long. I would still like to see him tinker with his shot and get jumping straight up and down while keeping the ball in his "shooting pocket" on his RIGHT SIDE and NEVER let it cross his belly botton; his release isnt too terribly bad, its mainly everything else.  He also seems to keep the ball on his palms and not his fingertips for the majority of his shot.

 

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 If the season ended today that would be one of the weirdest stat lines in NBA history.

[Andv1 WaitingParticipant]

Its early days yet I would say to judge a player the safest gauge offensively what a PG is going to be is in this range season 3-7(depending on coaching changes/Team changes) is when they either have it figured out as they have ran the offense for a reasonable length and how to get their shot. See most PG stat increases as examples. 

 As mentioned above why his shot maybe a bit shakey compared to college:

Different ball used-Which doesn’t help as this would take time to adjust to.College/international play tends to use Nike and USA/world comp play uses a fiba Molten vs NBA using a Spalding type ball.

Shorter 3 point range in college-That looks like a mid range shot in the NBA

His team mates don’t hit him in the right spot for him to get a good look off/he has to get used to the way his team mates pass to him. Its kind of funny if you watch him do shooting practice before games the guy/assistant who is passing the ball seems to him in the right spot as he converts a reasonable % of them….

Longer shot clock-48 seconds(College) which would allow you to take your time with shooting vs 24 seconds(NBA) meaning you have.

and

Better athletes at the NBA level compared to college(overall) Making it hard to get shot off.

As for his F/T % he was only in the 60%-70% range for this in College but as mentioned the range maybe a little longer than College so this could be a reason.

 

 

 

 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Watch any of his interviews and you can clearly tell he just seems mentally drained. Its too much. This guy is a bad joke on every media outlet in the world. Who would that not effect in a negative sense. Everything he does is scrutinized and it seems like hes being suffocated and cant breathe. Poor kid just wants to play basketball. 

He has also had alot happen to him in a short time. Part of being a pro is dealing with your personal issues and leaving them at home while performing but its easier said than done. I just feel like if you look at one of his interviews while at UCLA and one now you can see theres a thick layer of negative energy surrounding him and it seems like an interragation everytime hes on the mic.

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 I’ve watched a little bit of the Lakers. KCP likes to dominate the ball. Let Lonzo bring it up, run the show, do his thing, and get other guys going.

Lonzo would up his scoring numbers/shooting percentages if he could score in transition and get to the line. 

I don’t see him making many hard cuts off the ball either.  

[HeroescantdieParticipant]

 If his jumpshot isnt broken,  hell average more points and hed be more effecient I think.  Nba has the world best athletes.  Not like in college where he can get shots at a regular rate.  Plus the 3pt line is more near tothe rim.  He needed to bulk up to absorb contact of the nba level defenders

[Author]

Posts