Over 50 games into his season, it’s evident Lonzo Ball’s improved shot is not a flash in the pan but a real change that has produced positive results. On the season, Ball is shooting 38.3% from three-point range. Over the last 45 games, that number is up to 39.2% and in his last 36 games, it improves even further to 40.7%.
Essentially, Ball’s shot has only improved as the season continues. It’s no coincidence, then, that the team has also steadily improved as the season has gone on as well.
Josh Hart recently spoke about Ball’s improvement as a shooter and how it’s opened up the offense for other Pelicans.
“It’s huge. Teams used to sag off him and (stay in) the paint, clogging up lanes that (Brandon Ingram), Jrue (Holiday) or myself would usually like to take. With him being able to shoot the ball really well – not just the last few games, but the whole season – it opens the court and gives us those lanes to get into the teeth of the defense and finish at the rim.”
Just as Ball’s shooting percentages have risen throughout the season and the Pelicans have improved in terms of win-loss record, their offensive and net ratings have also improved.
While the team currently sits in 16th with a -1.0 net rating and 15th with a 110.6 offensive rating, those numbers have steadily risen in smaller, more recent samples. In the last 45 games, the offensive rating is 111.2 and the net rating is +0.4. In the last 36 games, the offensive rating jumps to 113.8 and the net rating is at +3.8.
Ball’s impact on the offense has been evident. He’s become a shooter defenses must account for and, as Hart said, that opens up larger gaps in the defense for players to attack the rim. It’s also why Zion Williamson and Ball have fit together so well since the former’s debut.
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