Pelicans' Lonzo Ball Talks Revamped Jump Shot After Struggles with Lakers

Lonzo Ball struggled with his shot during his two-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. But as he prepares for his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans, he has been working on improving his jumper.

As New Orleans opened training camp this week, Ball's revamped shooting stroke caught the eye of many:

According to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, Pelicans assistant coach Fred Vinson has been working with Ball to improve his form.

"I've been working on it all summer—as soon as I could get back on the court—trying to get it on the right side," Ball said Wednesday, 

An ankle injury limited him to only 47 games last season, with his final appearance coming on Jan. 19.

Early on in his career, the 2017 No. 2 overall pick has proved capable of making plays on both offense and defense, as he has averaged 6.4 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. However, his shot had yet to develop.

Through his first two NBA seasons, Ball shot 38.0 percent from the floor, 31.5 percent from three-point range and 43.7 percent from the free-throw line. Of note, his percentages for two-pointers (36.0 to 40.6) and three-pointers (30.5 to 32.9) increased from his rookie to sophomore campaigns.

When the Pelicans acquired the 21-year-old in the Anthony Davis deal in July, Vinson began to make tweaks. Mainly, he has Ball bringing the ball straight up and relying more on his legs. As the reps have piled up, the results have followed.

"If you keep doing something over and over, you should get good at it," Ball added, per Zillgitt.

Shooting uncontested jumpers during practice is not the same as doing so during an NBA game. The early results appear promising, but Ball will have to hope his hard work translates to success during live action.