NBA: Top 10 candidates for 2019-20 Most Improved Player

10 of 11

. . . Lonzo Ball. 2. player. 69

After two tumultuous seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers that included 65 games missed due to injury and a free throw percentage in the old DeAndre Jordan–Andre Drummond neighborhood, Lonzo Ball will get a fresh start this season with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ball’s problems in L.A. extended off the court. He’s in the midst of suing former business partner Alan Foster for more than $2 million dollars, alleging Foster embezzled money from Big Baller Brand, the shoe company Ball owns most of.

Throw in the fact his father, LaVar Ball, called him “damaged goods” during an episode of the family’s web-based reality series Ball in the Family and things have not exactly been smooth sailing for the former No. 2 overall pick.

Ball was part of the bounty the Lakers paid to acquire Anthony Davis from the Pelicans and there appears to have already been significant progress in fixing Ball’s broken shooting form.

https://twitter.com/pelicansnba/status/1163250820457963525

A new release can’t help but improve a career shooting slash line of .380/.315/.437 (43.7 percent from the foul line for a point guard??? Ouch.)

Ball already has the defensive chops and the playmaking skills required to be a solid NBA point guard, but his free throw shooting has made it difficult to keep him on the floor in crunch time.

That is, when he’s not out altogether. Ball played in only 52 games as a rookie in 2017-18 and appeared in just 45 last season, when he averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 30.3 minutes per game, while shooting 40.6 percent overall and 32.9 percent from deep.

Those shooting marks were significant improvements over his rookie numbers of 36.0 percent and 30.5 percent, respectively.

If Ball can get his offensive game even approaching the level of his defense, which is already very good, and can stay on the court, he could do some big things for a wild-card Pelicans outfit that could surprise in the Western Conference.

And could become New Orleans’ first Most Improved Player in the process.