Lonzo Ball looks better in debut with New Orleans Pelicans

After two inconsistent seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball made his debut with the New Orleans Pelicans to open the 2019-20 NBA season.

Lonzo Ball was taken with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He was the hometown kid who spent the entirety of his basketball career in California.

He and his brothers stared at Chino Hills, then Lonzo had a phenomenal one-season college experience at UCLA, which all culminated in Magic Johnson hand-picking him to be the next great Los Angeles Lakers guard.

Two seasons and 65 missed games later, Ball was part of the package sent to the New Orleans Pelicans in the blockbuster deal for Anthony Davis. It’s only been one game, but the move seems to have rejuvenated him.

One area of Ball’s game that has been heavily criticized and dissected is his jump shot. Upon entering the league, he had a funky form that started from his left hip and ended by his left eye. Each shot attempt looked like a Dragon Ball Z character conjuring a ”spirit bomb.”

Despite his shot being one of his strengths as a prospect, the effectiveness didn’t immediately transfer to the NBA. What’s worse, he was a lowly 43.7 percent free-throw shooter in his time with the Lakers.

Well, thanks to Pelicans assistant coach Fred Vinson, those issues look to be behind him now.

Ball’s first made shot in last night’s game came off a catch-and-shoot opportunity in transition. New Orleans head coach Alvin Gentry wants this team to play fast, and on the possession, the ball zipped down the floor. Jrue Holiday inbounded to Brandon Ingram, who advanced it down the floor to a wide-open Ball. He rose up and sunk the shot without hesitation.

The changes made are clear as day. First, no longer does his shot begin at the side of his body. He has a much cleaner, straight up-and-down motion. It not only helps him shoot the same way more consistently, but it also allows him to get his shots off quicker.

For as great of a passer and as versatile of a defender that he’s proven to be, it’s hard to keep a non-shooter on the floor during the game’s biggest moments.

The percentages didn’t drastically improve — he shot 31 percent in the preseason on 3-pointers and was a 31.5 percent 3-point shooter with the Lakers — but his confidence seems to be back to where it was when he was at UCLA.

On his second made 3-pointer, he again caught the pass from Ingram and went right into his shot in a rhythmic motion. These wing-extended looks were a staple of his off-ball play in college.

It was a very solid first game for the third-year pro. In the end, he finished with eight points (2-of-7 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range), five assists and five rebounds in 25 minutes.

He worked perfectly alongside the other core pieces of this team. He and Holiday were a terrific defensive tandem in the backcourt and being able to play with or without the ball makes him the perfect complement on the other end too. As a playmaker, he set up Ingram and Derrick Favors for easy looks. His fit with the new roster was seamless.

However, Ball sat for the final 18:29 of regulation before playing the opening three and a half minutes of overtime. Don’t want to read too much into one game, but it seems that he hasn’t made it to Gentry’s crunch-time lineup yet.

With Zion Williamson sidelined for the first few months of the season, Ball is the most intriguing long-term piece on the floor for the Pelicans. If he is able to be a threat to score when he’s on the court, he could be a piece that unlocks something special in the Bayou.