Lakers Player Profile: Get to Know Larry Nance, Jr.

Every team that wins an NBA title has a role player who steps up big time in the finals. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson may get all the headlines for the Golden State Warriors, but this past season it was Andre Iguodala, who was a reserve all season, who came out of nowhere to become the finals MVP. The year before it was Kawhi Leonard who shined on a team that featured the far-more-famous Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. When the Lakers won their last title, it was Metta World Peace, not Kobe Bryant or Pau Gasol, who carried the team in the decisive game seven win against the Celtics.

Larry Nance, Jr. may never become Iguodala, Leonard, or World-Peace, but it is obvious from listening to Mitch Kupchak’s post-draft comments that he has a hunch about Nance, much like he had a hunch about Jordan Clarkson in last year’s draft. Almost everyone was surprised, and many experts were critical, when Nance was chosen by the Lakers with the 27^th pick in the first round of the just-completed draft. Everyone thought he would last until the Laker’s second round selection, and some thought he would go undrafted. However, after the team met with over 70 rookie prospects the past month, Kupchak saw something special in Nance’s pre-draft work outs and did not want to take the risk of passing in the first round.

Nance is the son of former NBA player Larry Nance, Sr., who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns and was a three-time All Star and winner of the NBA slam dunk contest. Nance, Jr. was born and raised in Akron, Ohio where he attended Revere High School. As a freshman in high school he was 5’11” and played point guard. By the time he was a senior he had grown to 6’7” tall, and today he is a reported 6’8” and weighs 235 pounds. His natural position is power forward though it is possible he might be able to play the wing as well.

Nance is one of the rare players in the modern era who spent a full four years in college. Kupchak describes him as a late-bloomer. He played for the Wyoming Cowboys in the Mountain West Conference where he led the team in his senior season to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002. He was the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year in 2015, a two-time First Team All-Conference selection, and perhaps most important, he made the conference’s All-Defensive Team twice. Nance may not stand out in any one category but he is a very good all-around player on offense and defense. In his senior season he averaged 16.1 points on 51% shooting, made 79 % of his free throws, grabbed 7.2 rebounds, and made 2.5 assists per game.

Nance was forced to overcome some obstacles in his college career. For one thing, he suffers from Crohn’s Disease. During his junior year he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee in February 2014. At the time he was enjoying a break-out year, averaging 15.4 points per game on 54% shooting while grabbing 8.6 rebounds. Despite his shortened season he was a First Team All-Conference selection and made the All-Defensive Team. He bounced back strong in his senior year but this past February he was slowed for a time by mononucleosis, though he still led his team to the conference title and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

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Nance may have flown under the radar in college but he is an intriguing prospect who can score inside and from range while rebounding and playing solid defense. His pre-draft workouts with the Lakers were outstanding, and those who were present say he has great leaping ability and is a big-time hustle-type player. As a mature four-year starter in college it will be interesting to see if he can make an immediate impact for the Lakers off the bench. Kupchak seems to think he can and there is objective evidence to suggest that a year from now we could look back and label him one of the real steals in the draft.

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