Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball shared an interesting thought about shooting long 3-pointers.
At the end of the third quarter of Monday’s 121-103 road win against the Lakers, Ball took an inbounds pass and did not hesitate to take 76-foot shot. There was a very slim chance of getting it in but Ball still took it, and the reason why he tried was short and simple–“it’s a chance to make the shot.”
“It’s a chance to make the shot,” Ball told NBC Sports. “I really don’t play the percentages. I don’t mind taking the fullcourt heave. If it’s another missed 3-point shot, I really don’t care. If it goes in, great. If not, I’ll shoot it again.”
Star guard Zach LaVine asked the team’s front office for help and they delivered, signing Lonzo Ball and trading for DeMar DeRozan. Ball gives the Bulls their first true point guard since Derrick Rose in 2016. This ain’t that same Lonzo Ball from the Lakers. Unlike Ben Simmons, he worked hard to become a real shooter. Lonzo changed his form and it’s as he’s shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range so far. The Bulls are now 10-4.
According to Ball, everyone on the team can switch positions the entire game and it was never a problem as long as they stick to a “common goal,” and that is to win.
“I think it’s the character that everybody brings to this team,” Ball said when asked why the Bulls have been playing cohesive basketball despite having many new players. “The whole team plays for one another. Even out there playing small ball, we got guys 6-7, 6-8 playing center. I’m playing a little power forward. AC (Alex Caruso) is playing power forward. It’s just the will and the fight that we have as a collective unit.
We all have the common goal to win the game,” he added. “When you put your ego aside and high character guys step up, that’s what happens.”
This is what Zach LaVine said about Lonzo Ball recently: “He’s one helluva shooter. We had it scouted last year. He was shooting above 40 percent from 3 until he hurt himself at the end of the year. If you’re shooting above 40 on eight attempts, you’re a really knockdown shooter. That’s a part of his game that teams are really going to have to respect. And if not, they’re going to get their head cracked like they did tonight.”
