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Lakers: It’s Time to See What Larry Nance Jr. Can Provide

By Kevin Sanchez

Mar 21, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Clippers center Marreese Speights (5) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers guard David Nwaba (10) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) in the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LA Clippers center Marreese Speights (5) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers guard David Nwaba (10) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) in the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Larry Nance Jr. has been solid all season for the Los Angeles Lakers, so why not see what he can do with starters minutes?

The Lakers have had a really tough season. That much has been clear since December. Starting the season off 10-10 was a miraculous start, in hindsight. It certainly is a bummer that the team couldn’t keep up the hot start, but being a bad team also means you can experiment. This team is obviously not a .500 team and, as such, are afforded certain liberties. For starters, the Lakers don’t have to worry about winning games. On the contrary, at this point losses benefit the team more so than wins. Keeping the top pick should be a priority for the Lakers, however so should finding the right rotations.

The starting lineup has been very up and down and head coach Luke Walton has been experimenting with different starting units. Walton first started with a bit of a drastic move by “benching” D’Angelo Russell in favor of Jordan Clarkson. Obviously, Russell wasn’t benched in a traditional manner but rather was sent to lead the bench unit to see what Clarkson can do with the starters. At the time, it was certainly a bit of a head-scratcher, as Russell is the team’s best and most consistent offensive player.

However, it’s a move that’s defensible. You have to play Clarkson in the starting point guard role to see if he can handle being a starting point guard. Whether or not he has shown that is beside the point, the whole deal is finding out which players fit where. And the same should happen with Larry Nance Jr.

Feb 10, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton talks with forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) during the second quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton talks with forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) during the second quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

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As it is right now, Julius Randle is the vastly superior player and prospect. The combination of his size, speed, dribbling ability and playmaking ability is something that can’t be overlooked. He is going to be quite the player if he can add a bit more to his repertoire. Larry Nance Jr. doesn’t project to be more than a role player, but that might fit better with the starting unit as of right now. Wins aren’t something the team is going to get much more of, so why not tinker a bit and see if this new lineup can gel together?

It’s also to see how Randle deals with adversity and if he can effectively lead the second unit. Make no mistake, Larry Nance Jr.is not as dynamic as Randle and Julius is probably going to be much better when it’s all said and done. But his willingness to keep the ball moving quickly could be beneficial to the young core of Russell, Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac. It certainly helps that Zubac and Nance Jr. have been buddy-buddy so far.

Next: Will Brandon Ingram Become the Lakers Next Superstar?

Larry Nance Jr. is probably not going to develop much more than he has already. We have to remember that he is already 24 years old and the second oldest of the young core. But, with the team struggling this season, there’s no reason to not insert him into the starting unit to see what he can do.

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