Los Angeles Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. is known for being an excellent athlete and energy player. He showed that off in the Summer League with an excellent blocked shot of Jahlil Okafor and an impressive putback dunk in the only win of the summer against the Philadelphia 76ers.
— What will Larry Nance Jr. make this season? Find out here! —
Nance, however, knows that he must develop his skills if he plans on making an impact this season. Nance appeared on a podcast with Joey Ramirez and said that he wants to be a David West type of mid-range shooter as transcribed by Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Nance continued:“As my career goes on, I’m going to move out to 3 but for right now, just become a deadly David West type mid-range shooter"
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) August 20, 2015
If Nance is indeed looking to extend his range and become a consistent mid-range shooter, David West is about as good of a player to study. The majority of West’s shots in his career have come between 16 feet and the three-point line, and he has shot nearly 48 percent from that distance throughout his career.
Nance developing a mid-range game similar to West would be a massive addition to his game as, unlike West, Nance has great athleticism as well. Nance being great on both the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop would make him a very dangerous player.
Nance getting to David West status as a mid-range shooter may be a little far-fetched, but as long as he can become a consistent shooter, it will surely help him have a long career in the NBA. Nance would also be wise to learn from his teammate Brandon Bass, who is an excellent mid-range shooter in his own right.
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