Before his summer league ended with a scare after a terrible looking fall in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Larry Nance Jr. was one of the most impressive players playing in Las Vegas.
Nance was a monster on defense, collecting steals and blocks at an unbelievable rate, and he showed off the ability to handle the ball more and lead the fast break after grabbing a rebound. Nance also showed off an improved jumper and seemed much more comfortable shooting the ball from distance, something that isn’t an accident.
In an interview with Mike Bresnahan of Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Nance spoke about his shooting during Summer League, and said to expect more once the season begins:
That was just a little trial run, that’s what Summer League is. It went pretty well, I thought I shot it alright, rushed a few, but that’s definitely something you can expect to see during the season.
Nance becoming a more reliable outside shooter is something that will give the Lakers a lot of flexibility once the season begins. He has spoken about hoping to play more with Julius Randle, and Nance being able to spread the floor would make that lineup much more feasible.
The important thing for Nance is that he is now healthy after that wrist injury suffered in Summer League. Nance has returned to the gym and is now back in training mode getting ready for his second season. The young Lakers are hoping to turn some heads and surprise people this year and Nance will be a big part of that.
Fans may not have known who Nance was when he was drafted with the 27th overall pick last year, but now he is one of the most popular players on the team. Improving his game this summer will surely keep him high on that list, and make the Lakers more dangerous.