not sure these aren't related. he's worried about getting blocked and even more worried about shooting fts.
I think a large part of it is his literal physical weakness. He's not exactly great at handling strength or contact. He's at his best when he's gliding through traffic. He needs to work with Ingram all summer on playing through contact at the rim.
Thought he impacted the game in other ways that really helped us win the game. I like that even when we went down by 13 in the 3rd, he still made the right plays and dug in defensively even more. I love this kid man...I did NOT expect him to be this good defensively and it's a real treat to see him be that for us. We haven't had a good defensive PG in a lonnggggggg time, and watching him dive into the stands and slap at every ball and get multiple steals and blocks each game is a major coup for us. Who was the last POINT GUARD to average 2 steals and 1 block per game as a rookie?
I think the biggest thing Lonzo needs to do on the FT line is slow down and take more time before shooting. I know Kuz has done this already and his percentages have improved. If you watch Kuz shoot FT's he takes that breath and does a legit 1-2 pause before going up for the shot.
I mean, I'd give Nash credit for his toughness, but I would give Lonzo the physical and athletic edge now over Nash's prime. But also, Nash was very crafty around the rim with an array of floaters, scoop shots and layups. All things Lonzo needs to add to his repertoire as well. Right now, he's settling for this mid range pop shot that isn't in rhythm. I really hope he gets the chance to work on that part of his game.
It took Nash a long time to develop that sort of craftiness around the rim. Lonzo isn't there yet. He will get there, but the kid is just 20 years old.
in fairness, he's as bad on the ball as projected. but i think you can pretty easily get around that with all of his other gifts on that end. i'm surprised he's a plus-defender this early. it's only going to get better. he's got kidd instincts and kidd hands. just doesn't have the strength right now.
Missed a bunch of shots again, gotta fix it. He did however, make quite a few plays penetrating the paint. He needs to do more of that.
So-so game from Ball... Livingston had his way with him on some possessions. Good idea by Kerr putting Durant on him to disrupt the Laker pace.
Zo forgot how to shoot again. #GrowingPains He's going to hit the gym and gain some weight this summer...in doing so, I hope that shot gets reworked to be more repetitive and stable. It could be a head thing, but I seriously think he needs to work on a shot that displays better body control so it doesn't always look like he's just launching shots. All his attempts need to look identical and as of right now, they don't.
Ball... If he gets his feet set, balanced with a free release, shot has a chance. Being pressured and have to move side to side or have to step back to get it off? Not good. Ball will have to and will vary his offensive repertoire the next few seasons. Get his physique stronger so he can take contact on his drives. The other aspects of his game besides playmaking, like the rebounding and defense? Nothing to worry about.
