What's Wrong With Lonzo's Shooting?

As of this post, Lakers' star rookie Lonzo Ball is averaging a less than spectacular 8.8 points per game with a 30% field goal percentage while shooting 23.4% from beyond the arc.  Many experts have pointed to his unorthodox mechanics for his shooting woes.  Some have criticized his relaxed demeanor on the court affecting his ability to put the ball through the basket.  So what's really wrong with Lonzo's shooting?  To tell you the truth, NOTHING.  There's nothing wrong with his mechanics or approach to scoring.

Lonzo is simply a 20 year old rookie point guard trying to figure out how to play in the NBA. 

As many who have played the game can attest, scoring requires a flow, a rhythm, a mentality to be effective.  This rhythm comes easier from a shooting guard or small forward position whose natural role on the team is to score.  Their minds are already set on scoring.  The primary role of the point guard however is to be the court general who facilitates the team's offense in order to create scoring opportunities for his teammates.  They rarely have set plays called for them to take the shot and will usually need to be the decision maker based on what they read in the defense.  This is a difficult task for most NBA veterans, what more for a 20 year old rookie?

As mentioned above, point guards have to create their own scoring opportunities more often than not.  Very rarely are they able to run off screens without the ball so they can take spot up jumpers.  Most shots have to come off the dribble, usually with an opposing big man in front of them or a backcourt defender hot on their heels.  Lonzo is not the most physically gifted player who can simply out-muscle or out-jump his way to a score.  He still has to figure out the spacing between opponents and spots on the court where he can take his shots within his offensive flow.  He's already had a number of shots blocked but it's all part of his learning process.

The more games Lonzo has under his belt (along with mentoring from veteran teammates, coaches and the President of Basketball Operations who happens to be one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history), he'll start to understand where his game fits in the NBA environment.  Sooner than later, he'll start to develop that much needed rhythm and we'll see him become a more effective shooter.  What he lacks in dominating physical gifts, he makes up in basketball IQ and we'll soon be singing him praises as we approach the new calendar year.

Let's all sit back and enjoy watching his progress towards super stardom.