This season, he shot 37.8 percent from deep which is an improvement from the previous seasons: 30.5 percent in his rookie year, 32.9 percent in his second year, and 37.5 percent last season. Obviously, these are much lower percentages compared to his peers. But looking at Lonzo’s statistics alone, you have no reason not to be impressed.

A new clip of Lonzo putting in some work surfaced recently. It featured a seemingly bulkier Lonzo who’s grown more comfortable with his jump shot. While his new and improved release is old news to his di‌ehard fans, there’s no harm in examining what changed in his shooting mechanics since he left the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2019.

Before looking at how his shot looked with the Lakers, it would be useful to briefly discuss his UCLA days when he had this funky slingshot shooting form. Strangely, Lonzo shot 41.2 percent from deep in his lone year with the Bruins. Obviously, the three-point shot is farther in the NBA, not to mention differences in defensive sophistication.

The errors in his mechanics have been well-documented. Lonzo is right-handed but his jump shot starts from his left. Also, his feet are all over the place instead of squared to the floor. Nevertheless, it was astounding to see him create his own three-pointers through hesitation moves or stepbacks despite his awkward jump shot.

Video: Most Exciting Player in College Basketball || UCLA PG Lonzo Ball 2016-17 Highlights

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Below is a clip of Lonzo Ball’s rookie year with the Lakers. He still carried that funky form from UCLA. The workout reveals the reason why he didn’t even think of changing his mechanics: His jump shot, no matter how awkward, got the job done. Notice that he’s already shooting from the NBA three-point distance and was knocking them down with ease.

However, Ball’s first season with the Lakers turned out to be a nightmare. Yes, his vision and basketball IQ were way up there, but his offense was limited. Gone were the days when he can create his own jump shots. All NBA defenders had to do was to key in on his left side to take his shot away. Without a doubt, this affected Lonzo’s confidence negatively. Not to mention how analysts labeled him a bust.

Lonzo’s second season with the Lakers was the first stage of the evolution of his jump shot. The most obvious change was that he seemed to be warier of where his feet landed. His feet landed towards the basket instead of to the left which helped solve inconsistency. The starting point of his shot still favored the left side but it wasn’t as extreme as in his rookie season. He hesitated to unleash his shot from time to time, which is completely understandable. Yet you can tell he put some serious work in the summer.

Perhaps this was the most important step. Lonzo had been using the slingshot form for pretty much his entire life. It would be foolish to overhaul it completely in a matter of days or weeks. Lonzo and his trainers knew that it’ll take him several seasons to modify it. The only way to correct it was by moving his starting point to the right bit by bit.

His first season with the Pelicans was when fans saw a seemingly drastic change in his mechanics. The ball was no longer on his left but in the center. He looks to be more comfortable too with where his feet landed. This seemed like the final evolution of Lonzo Ball’s shot. It looked good and it showed results. However, months later, he would unveil another tweak in his form.

Lonzo’s new shot starts from his right side—the complete opposite of his initial funky form. We may have to ask him for the exact reason for this. Perhaps he wants a clearer view of his target? Whatever the reason is, his new form is just a testament to his hard work and willingness to improve. It would be crazy if we are to see another rendition of his shot. This form already looks better than most NBA players.

It would be exciting to see what the future holds for Lonzo Ball. He’s already been blessed with a keen understanding of the game which he utilizes to set up his teammates. Of course, there’s also his defense which is one of the most underrated in the league. Now, he is armed with a deadly shot. Will the 2021-22 season be Lonzo’s year? Will it be the season he gets his first All-Star nod?