Fair or unfair, Lonzo Ball is arguably the most scrutinized rookie in NBA history. A lot of that has to do with his outspoken father, LaVar, but the criticism has been fueled by a rough start to Ball's first season in the NBA.
Ball has put up two triple-doubles, but his shooting is the area that's drawing the most groans. There's no way to sugar coat his horrific numbers -- 31 percent from the field, 24.5 percent on 3-pointers and 43 percent from the free-throw line -- and his struggles have led some people to suggest that he should abandon his unorthodox shooting form for better technique.
If you're going to talk about shooting, why not talk to possibly the best shooter in the entire world? Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry came to Lonzo's defense, saying that he shouldn't listen to all the outside noise.
"He's a rookie. He's going through the ups and downs like every rookie has, whether you're highly touted or not ... I hope you didn't judge me off my first 20 games in the league, either," Curry said. "He's not the first person who the peanut gallery wants to chime in and tell how to play the game. At the end of the day, he's made shots shooting like that before. I'm pretty sure he can figure out what that means in an NBA game. That's for him to decide."
Steph Curry on facing Lonzo Ball for the first time, people trying to change his shot and whether the LaVar comments last year are extra motivation ("No. More comic relief.") pic.twitter.com/CY9RkHRAAs
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 28, 2017
For the record, Curry shot 45 percent from the field, 38 percent on 3-pointers and 82 percent from the stripe in his first 20 games as a rookie in 2009, so he can't exactly relate to Ball's struggles. But the point is consistent with what most current and former players have said about Lonzo -- back off, he's got a long way to go.
Then again, there's always the chance that these players are telling Lonzo to keep his odd shooting form because they want him to continue to struggle, giving themselves a better chance of winning. Hey, the NBA is competitive.
The Lakers will face the NBA champion Warriors for the first time this season on Wednesday, a game that has some added intrigue because of LaVar Ball's comment back in February saying that Lonzo was a better player than Curry. When asked if the remark added any extra motivation, Curry was quick with his answer.
"No, more comic relief for me," Curry said. "I need that from time to time."
