Last night’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors was full of highlights despite being cut short due to unsafe conditions.
There was Julius Randle shouting, “He can’t guard me,” to Draymond Green after attacking him relentlessly in the first quarter. There was Stephen Curry, doing Stephen Curry things like only Stephen Curry could do. But it was Larry Nance Jr.‘s posterizing of Warriors’ defender, Festus Ezeli that took the cake.
Before the preseason began, Nance Jr. took to Twitter to promise fans a poster dunk.
Yesterday, he made good on that promise.
A few things worth mentioning about the dunk:
- At the peak of his dunk, Nance Jr.’s head was nearly above the rim.
- He possesses a midair “pause” similar to Blake Griffin or the Vince Carter of old which makes him look like he’s floating in midair.
- The dunk was nearly a perfect replication of Michael Jordan’s jumpman logo.
- It’s only fitting that he followed this up with the MJ shrug.
Yesterday, the Lakers broadcast brought up that one of the reasons the Lakers took a shot on Nance Jr. was because of his off the chart athleticism.
In an interview with ESPN, GM Mitch Kupchak revealed:
"We brought him in here twice for workouts. … But most importantly, the two times we had them in here, he tested as an incredible athlete. Just off the charts, and we just assume he’s going to get healthier and healthier and maybe even become a better athlete."
While fans will likely only remember the dunk, Nance Jr. also showed other reasons why the Lakers drafted him in the first round.
In the first quarter, he showed off his patience in the post and even a midrange fall away jump shot. In the third, he demonstrated his range with a smooth three pointer, his defense with a steal on Curry and his explosive first step which led to the poster dunk.
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Nance Jr. has all of the physical talents to become a great player in the league. Hopefully, the Lakers realize this and give him the playing time needed to hone these skills.
What did you think about Nance Jr.’s poster dunk? Let us know in the comments below.