Topic: We wonder which of the Los Angeles Lakers other rookies will make a bigger impact this season, Anthony Brown or Larry Nance Jr.?
Context: Much of the focus on the Lakers rookie class has gone towards D’Angelo Russell, and rightfully so. He was the second overall pick, and is already penciled in as the starting point guard. He has the potential to be the next great Lakers superstar which would immediately change the fortunes of the franchise.
The Lakers, however, drafted two other players, each of whom brings a unique skill set that the Lakers could use. Larry Nance Jr. is an athletic power forward who brings rebounding, hustle, and energy to the front court. Anthony Brown is a prototypical ‘3-and-D’ wing who can shoot the ball from deep and has great potential as a defensive stopper.
Neither had a great performance during Summer League, but Nance’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers was impressive as his block of Jahlil Okafor was one of the plays of the summer and he added a big time putback dunk as well. Brown was more conspicuous during the summer as his scoring dropped in each game and he made only three of his 12 shots from three-point range.
When looking at the roster, Anthony Brown seems to have a little bit more of an opportunity than Nance. The Lakers are pretty crowded at power forward with Julius Randle and Brandon Bass leading the way, and Ryan Kelly there as well. The small forward position, however, is thin as Kobe Bryant and Nick Young are the only Lakers who could play the three.
— What will Kobe Bryant make this season? Find out here! —
Verdict: We went to Twitter to ask the loyal Lakers Nation followers which rookie they believe will make more of an impact this season, Larry Nance Jr. or Anthony Brown? These are some of the responses:
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation #LNDebate i believe larry nance. His hustle and defense will help the lakers this season.
— Chris Kim (@chris_kim4) August 15, 2015
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation Brown serves a need at Small forward and can splash, so I'm going with him. #LNDebate
— malcolm (@Yourcerealking) August 15, 2015
#LNDebate Anthony Brown this season but I can seen Larry Nance Jr being an integral part of the Lakers in the future https://t.co/T7ToXQtTNw
— HeAintEvenStretchDoe (@chrisXazuoma) August 15, 2015
@TheeCoreyH #LNdebate Brown no doubt. Provides spacing for DLo and JClark and will be a nice 3/D going forward in the mold of a young Ariza
— Sam Knef (@Sam_on_cam) August 15, 2015
@TheeCoreyH Based on what we saw in the Summer League, I think it's gonna be Larry Nance Jr. #LNDebate
— BrizZ Joey (@JoePT911) August 15, 2015
@TheeCoreyH @LakersNation easy answer seems A-Brown.. but i feel that nance will have more impact by doing d little things
— Paul A (@Lit3EmUp) August 15, 2015
Anthony Brown. He'll get mins at the SF. Nance is tucked deep in that depth chart. No PT. https://t.co/Hk1yXYhzOV
— Thotphen P. Curry (@PlutoJO) August 15, 2015
The fans have spoken and though it was a very close vote, the fans seemed to edge Larry Nance Jr. just slightly over Anthony Brown. In this case, however, I am going to have to disagree with the Lakers Nation faithful.
Some fans brought it up and I agree, the depth chart favors Brown far more than Nance. It isn’t a stretch to see Nick Young falling out of Byron Scott’s rotation in which case Brown would likely be the beneficiary. With Randle, Bass, Roy Hibbert and Tarik Black, it is hard to see Nance cracking that rotation without injuries.
In all likelihood, both players will probably spend a lot of time in the D-League getting much needed minutes and experience. However Brown’s skill set and position I think will give him more of an opportunity even though I feel Nance Jr. is probably more ready right now.
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