Los Angeles Lakers 2018-19 Player Grades: Lonzo Ball

– Negatives

While there were certainly some positives for Lonzo this season, there were also some negatives. One of the main negatives for Ball was his shooting from the free throw line. Even though he improved his shooting overall, he got worse somehow at the free throw line.

In his rookie season, Ball shot 45 percent from the free throw line. This season, he went down to 41 percent, which is pretty inexcusable. As a guard that can attack the basket, Ball has to become a better free throw shooter. This could very well be a confidence issue for Ball, and his woes from the free throw line looked to affect his aggressiveness at times.

Another negative for Ball this season was the injuries once again. While Ball is not in control of this, only playing 47 games this season was a big letdown, and really hurt the team. As arguably the best defensive player on the team, the Lakers really struggled on that end without Ball. For the second straight season, Ball has missed at least 30 games.

Heading into an important third season, Ball must improve as a free throw shooter, continue to improve on his shooting from beyond the arc, and also find a way to stay healthy.