4. Larry Nance Jr.
Obviously the Summer League run for second-year forward Larry Nance Jr. ended on a bit of a sour note as he sprained his wrist on a nasty fall—though fans are certainly thankful that the initial fears that he’d broken his hand were unwarranted in the end. However, Nance was a joy to watch in Vegas up to that point, again bringing the same flare, effort, and physical tools that made him a viable rotation player for the Lakers last season.
What really stands out in an environment like Summer League when it comes to a player like Nance is just how disciplined and polished he is for a guy his age. He’s never going to be the guy blowing assignments in situations like this and he’s never going to be the guy suffering from lack of focus. In the same light, he’s also always going to be giving maximum effort when the ball is live no matter what end of the floor that he’s on. That’s why you have to love a guy like Nance.
More than that, though, another thing that really came to light at Summer League and that Lakers fans have to want to see more of in the regular season was the fearlessness that he played with. On several plays including the one where he injured his wrist, Nance went to make a play at the rim with supreme confidence and a bit of reckless abandon. If he can safely hone that into his day-to-day game, he’s going to be a special force for the Lakers moving forward.
Next: No. 3 Ingram