Cleveland Cavaliers: Expect A Breakout Year From Larry Nance Jr.
Don’t count on the Cleveland Cavaliers making the NBA playoffs. What you can take to the bank is a breakout year from Larry Nance Jr. That’s a near certainty this season. Its about time he take the leap from role player to solid NBA starter.
At 26 years of age, Nance might not be the youngest of players on the Cavaliers roster. He’s still not an aging veteran, though. The teams gritty PF/C is the perfect compliment to Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love. Both might cede time to Nance in the rotation if he stays at PF/C. It’s not exactly Nance’s team as of yet, and it might never be. However, he might be the most important player on the roster.
Defense isn’t stressed enough by NBA coaches and players. Nance Jr. has a knack for the defensive end. He’s made it a goal to lead the league in steals. He remarked at media day,
“I plan on being one of the league leaders in steals this year.”
That’s a bold statement from Nance. Although, it’s not too far off from a realistic goal. He contributed to 39.1 percent of the Cavs steals last season. Despite a +/- rating of -4.8 last year, Nance Jr. is one of the Cavs best defenders. He’ll be looked upon to provide heavy defense for Cleveland this season.
One issue Nance has is his below average offense. Having only averaged 9.4 points, theres not much to be excited about on the scoring end of the court. A reason for this is Nance’s ability to set the play. He’s able to take the ball at the top of the key or free throw line and run the offense. Nance isn’t the scorer on the roster, he’s a facilitator. He sets his teammates up. Ideally, Nance would become more of a pick and roll player, doing that would add 5 or 6 more points to his aveegae.
The expectation is that Nance will play the wing this season. He’s likely to spend time at the 3. This is uncharted territory for the big man. Coach Beilein must believe in the scoring ability of Nance. Truth be told, he’s got a lot to work on, especially if he’s going to be counted on to be a scorer.
Nance is virtually the same player as a starter. His rebounding does go up when playing with the first unit. And Nance does contribute 2.5 offensive boards per contest (a number that will decrease with a move to the wing). He’s not the offensive weapon that Cavs fans hope he’d be, although, he makes up for it in other areas.
Give Larry Nance Jr. some credit. He knows his role on the roster. Head coach, John Beilein, will need to get him into the starting lineup more often than former head coach, Larry Drew did. A permanent spot with the starters might be what Nance needs in order to develop consistency on offense. We know what he brings on the defensive side.
The breakout of Larry Nance Jr. is coming this year. He might not be a most improved candiate, seeing as his offense will never stack up. Although, when it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nance might he regarded as the team’s best player at seasons end.
Image Source: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
