GLIAC Men's BasketballMar 9, 2016 by Brett Pickert
Don't Forget About Larry Nance Jr.
Don't Forget About Larry Nance Jr.
We look at the rookie campaign for Larry Nance Jr. of the Los Angeles Lakers.
By Kendrick E. Johnson
When people think about the Lakers potential stars of the future, they automatically think about second-year players Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and rookie D’Angelo Russell. Many tend to forget about Larry Nance Jr., who the Lakers drafted (27th overall) in the 2015 NBA Draft. Despite fighting knee problems this season, Nance Jr. has been one of the few bright spots in what has amounted to a forgettable year for Laker Nation.
After playing four years at the University of Wyoming, Nance Jr. has a certain maturity and polish to his game which most rookies don’t possess. As a result of his maturity, high energy, and skill, the energetic rookie forward was able to crack the starting lineup in just the 16th game of his NBA career.
Now a constant fixture in the Lakers rotation when healthy, Nance Jr. is learning how to adjust to the NBA game on a day-to-day basis.
“The biggest thing I’ve had to adjust to is the pace of the game,” Nance Jr. said. “When you are watching on TV it doesn’t seem that fast and the players don’t look that explosive and stuff like that. But when you get out there and you try to stay in front of a Russell Westbrook or John Wall and stuff like that it’s a completely different feeling than anything you felt in college. So the pace and the speed of the guys has been the biggest difference for me.”
Like most rookies, Nance Jr. has gone through the growing pains while experiencing some highs and lows. The best stretch of his season at the beginning of the 2016 calendar year where he averaged 10.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per a game while playing 25.3 minutes a game in a starting effort through ten games.
While his offense has continued to be a work in progress, Nance Jr. has been one of Lakers most consistent defenders, despite having to matchup with star players like Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love. By consistently applying the attention to detail and commitment to defense he gained at Wyoming, the athletic forward has already gained the trust of Byron Scott and his staff.
Nance Jr. has rewarded the Lakers by averaging a near steal per game and leading the team in the plus/minus ratio category.
“My [college] coach was a hard nose defensive coach and he really instilled that defensive basketball IQ in me,” Nance Jr. said. “I really think that’s been the big thing which has helped me grow up and mature quicker.”
With not much to cheer for this season, Laker fans have embraced Nance Jr. this season for not only his hard work on the defense but also for his posterizing dunks. So far this season, Nance Jr. has dunked on Festus Ezeli, John Henson and most recently Al Horford. The athletic rookie wants everyone to know he plans to add more victims to his list before the season is over.
“I’d like to catch a few more bodies,” Nance Jr. said. “I’m trying to get a few more dunks to show up on Sports Center or somewhere.”
When people think about the Lakers potential stars of the future, they automatically think about second-year players Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and rookie D’Angelo Russell. Many tend to forget about Larry Nance Jr., who the Lakers drafted (27th overall) in the 2015 NBA Draft. Despite fighting knee problems this season, Nance Jr. has been one of the few bright spots in what has amounted to a forgettable year for Laker Nation.
After playing four years at the University of Wyoming, Nance Jr. has a certain maturity and polish to his game which most rookies don’t possess. As a result of his maturity, high energy, and skill, the energetic rookie forward was able to crack the starting lineup in just the 16th game of his NBA career.
Now a constant fixture in the Lakers rotation when healthy, Nance Jr. is learning how to adjust to the NBA game on a day-to-day basis.
“The biggest thing I’ve had to adjust to is the pace of the game,” Nance Jr. said. “When you are watching on TV it doesn’t seem that fast and the players don’t look that explosive and stuff like that. But when you get out there and you try to stay in front of a Russell Westbrook or John Wall and stuff like that it’s a completely different feeling than anything you felt in college. So the pace and the speed of the guys has been the biggest difference for me.”
Like most rookies, Nance Jr. has gone through the growing pains while experiencing some highs and lows. The best stretch of his season at the beginning of the 2016 calendar year where he averaged 10.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per a game while playing 25.3 minutes a game in a starting effort through ten games.
While his offense has continued to be a work in progress, Nance Jr. has been one of Lakers most consistent defenders, despite having to matchup with star players like Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love. By consistently applying the attention to detail and commitment to defense he gained at Wyoming, the athletic forward has already gained the trust of Byron Scott and his staff.
Nance Jr. has rewarded the Lakers by averaging a near steal per game and leading the team in the plus/minus ratio category.
“My [college] coach was a hard nose defensive coach and he really instilled that defensive basketball IQ in me,” Nance Jr. said. “I really think that’s been the big thing which has helped me grow up and mature quicker.”
With not much to cheer for this season, Laker fans have embraced Nance Jr. this season for not only his hard work on the defense but also for his posterizing dunks. So far this season, Nance Jr. has dunked on Festus Ezeli, John Henson and most recently Al Horford. The athletic rookie wants everyone to know he plans to add more victims to his list before the season is over.
“I’d like to catch a few more bodies,” Nance Jr. said. “I’m trying to get a few more dunks to show up on Sports Center or somewhere.”