Lonzo Ball's opening stretch of the 2025-26 season was defined by a brutal shooting slump that severely limited his overall effectiveness as a rotational playmaker. During the 10/22 vs NYK opener, he bricked his way to an abysmal -16.9 impact score, going 1-for-7 from deep while failing to generate enough offensive pressure to justify his minutes. Even when he focused purely on distribution, like his eight-assist outing on 11/06 vs PHI, his total inability to score dragged his impact down to a staggering -14.8. Opposing defenses simply sagged off him, clogging passing lanes and neutralizing his elite court vision because they knew he could not punish them from the perimeter. He did manage to scrape together a +2.6 impact score on 11/15 vs MEM despite scoring just nine points. In that contest, he generated crucial non-scoring value by crashing the glass for seven rebounds and dishing five assists, keeping the offensive flow alive without demanding a high shot volume. Ultimately, those flashes of steady game management were too rare, leaving him as a glaring offensive liability on most nights.

A brutal, icy shooting slump defined Lonzo Ball’s mid-season stretch, turning him into an offensive liability who struggled to stay on the floor. Given a rare starting nod on 11/25 vs TOR, Ball hijacked the offense with a disastrous 3-for-15 shooting performance. Even though he managed to grab 7 rebounds and dish 7 assists in that contest, his insistence on chucking 12 three-pointers resulted in an ugly -7.1 Impact. His complete passivity was just as damaging on 11/22 vs IND. He failed to score a single point and attempted just two shots in 25 minutes, dragging the offense to a halt for a dismal -15.4 Impact. He found a brief, redemptive rhythm on 12/14 vs CHA. Despite scoring just 8 points, his steady playmaking and 5 rebounds yielded a stellar +9.7 Impact because he finally moved the ball without wasting possessions.