New Orleans Pelicans: Time is now for Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. Now heading into his third season, it is time for Ball to prove what type of player he will be in this league.

Lonzo Ball, now with the New Orleans Pelicans, is no stranger to the spotlight. He has been in the public eye since his days at Chino Hills High School, where he and his two younger brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo,  put on a show with their run-and-gun offense.

From there, Lonzo stayed in California as he decided to play his college ball at UCLA. He made even more noise there as he was easily one of the best players in the nation and analysts began comparing him to point guard greats such as Jason Kidd due to his play-making ability.

Ball then left UCLA after his freshman season and was selected second overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Being such a high draft selection, Ball had extremely high expectations right from the beginning.

However, Zo struggled early on, especially with his shooting. Here are his stats through his first two season in the league:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Even though Lonzo has not necessarily lived up to the hype so far, he is now getting his chance at a fresh start. Due to the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade, Ball was shipped out of LA to Louisiana to go play for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Now on his second team in only his third season, Lonzo needs to show us all what type of player he will be in this league. With so much of his game being in question, now is the time for him to give us answers.

As mentioned before, the biggest knock to his game so far in the NBA has easily been his shooting. Coming out of college, there were a handful of people who were weary on his odd looking jump shot and how it would translate to the professional game.

The concern was that against professionals the unorthodox form would not hold up well.

He has not had any problems getting his shot off, the problem is that the shot just doesn’t go in. Being a guard in today’s league, it is expected of you to be able to hit shots from all over the court.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

However, Lonzo so far has been way too streaky from his outside shooting to be considered a legitimate threat, and his .437 percent free throw shooting is unacceptable by anyone’s standards.

In this new offense with Zion Williamson and others such as Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday, Lonzo probably won’t be asked to be a primary scorer, but will still be asked to hit open shots when given the opportunity.

Even though his shot has been sub-par in his first two seasons, there is still a lot of hope that he will right the ship. I believe that this new opportunity for Zo will do wonders.

It had to have been tough for Lonzo to feel comfortable during his time with the Lakers. Struggles are expected for anyone in their rookie year, as they are brand new to the pace and play of the NBA and are getting used to their situation with their new team.

Then heading into his second season, there was a complete change and culture shock within the organization as they landed the biggest name in the game, LeBron James. Although LeBron is one of the greatest to ever do it, there is still some problems that can arise with him on a roster.

Many players in the past have talked about how they had to change their game completely to fit in with LeBron and how he operates on the floor.

Having to change your style of play to fit with someone else can be a very tough thing, and can lead to players struggling with their new role within the team.

Chris Bosh and Kevin Love both struggled at first with the change of playing with James, Love so much so that it led to LeBron sending out an ominous tweet that many believe was about Kevin and his play when they both were together playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

At this time in both of their respective careers, Bosh and Love were bonafide all-stars and two of the best the game had to offer, so if they struggled with the change then there is no wonder that Ball, in only his second season, found himself struggling as well.

Now I am not saying Lonzo’s struggles were all because of LeBron, but maybe this change with a new roster around him will be beneficial to his game.

With Zo being on the Pels now, he will be surrounded by a lot of young players who aren’t nearly as ball dominant as LeBron. Zion Williamson is expected to be the top guy in New Orleans, but he does not need the ball in his hands at all times to greatly impact the game.

If Zo can get back to running his style of play and not have to compromise his game, there is a good chance that he will find himself in rhythm more often which will lead to more consistent shooting out of him.

The change of atmosphere might be very beneficial to Ball as well. Pressure comes with playing alongside LeBron James, but also with playing in Los Angeles for the Lakers. The Lakers are one of the most successful franchises of all time.

Being such a storied franchise, there is a certain standard that the fans expect to see, and they will not accept anything less than great.

On top of that, Ball has always been an LA kid, and his dad Lavar proclaimed to the world that he would end up on the Lakers and be their savior.

Staying so close to home, and to his father who adds so much more pressure to him with every word that comes out of his mouth, could very well be an issue for a teenager playing in the NBA.

So, this change of scenery might do Ball good.

Instead of being on one of the biggest teams in the league, he is now on a young and exciting team who do not have a ton of expectations just yet. Instead of playing under the words his dad spoke about him, he can be his own player in a city almost 2,000 miles from LA.

Not having that pressure of leading a team back to the promise land immediately may help him play more freely and not overthink things.

Even if Lonzo never improves the shooting aspect of his game, it is still not the end of him. Ball is an elite passer, and has already proven that he is very good in all facets on defense, and there will always be a place in the NBA for players like that.

Lonzo Ball will be only 22 years old once the 2019-20 season begins, so he still has all the potential to become a better player and consistent shooter; and if this new change of culture and scenery is as good for him as I think it will be, then he will become just that.

Lonzo becoming a good NBA shooter transcends his game completely and could propel him to an all-star caliber player.

If Zo reaches that level, and there is still a good possibility that he does, then this young and full of potential Pelicans team’s ceiling may be even higher than we have anticipated.