Los Angeles Lakers: How Lonzo Ball could impact the offense

Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) dribbles the ball in front of Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jaylin Walker (23) in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) dribbles the ball in front of Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jaylin Walker (23) in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
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Mar 23, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) shoots during practice the day before the South Regional semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

On-ball three-point-shooting

Additionally, Ball excels at knocking down threes both on and off the ball. For example, while on the ball, Lonzo had the 9th highest points per possession when shooting pull up threes. He also had an impressive 1.21 points per possession on isolation plays and was in the 94th percentile on contested threes in college.

This shows that he has the ability to create and make shots from distance even with a defender in his face. This could give a young Lakers squad a viable option to rely on when they are in need of a basket, which is something they are currently missing on the roster.

Off-ball three-point shooting

Further, Ball is more than capable of hitting a three-pointer when he is playing off the ball as well. This is evidenced by the fact that he was in the 93rd percentile on catch and shoot threes, putting him among the best catch and shoot players from deep last year in the NCAA.

As such, it is not hard to imagine play-makers such as D’Angelo Russell or Julius Randle looking for Ball either in the half-court or in transition for three.

Therefore, considering Lonzo’s ability to connect from beyond the arc in various situations, both on and off the Ball, it is likely that his three-point shooting prowess may aid the Lakers in improving their underwhelming three-point performance this season.