Very few people knew much about Larry Nance Jr. when the Los Angeles Lakers drafted him with the 27th overall pick, but he has quickly turned into a fan favorite thanks to his high energy and athleticism. Nance even worked himself into the starting lineup as his solid defensive play appealed to head coach Byron Scott.
Unfortunately for Nance, he has been slowed down by a knee injury, missing four straight games before returning to play in the team’s last three.
Scott announced that Nance would miss Sunday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, and according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, is considering keeping Nance out until after All-Star Weekend:
Byron says his initial thought w/ Larry Nance (sore knee) is to shut him down until after the All-Star break, will to talk to Vitti first
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 1, 2016
This isn’t great news for Nance as he was really coming into his own before this knee issue flared up. His offense was continually improving and he is one of the team’s few good defenders.
Holding him out for a while might be the best move as it is important that this issue is handled and his knee returns to 100 percent. Nance has a lot of potential and he and the Lakers can’t afford to risk further injury.
The Lakers are a team with promising young talent and Nance has played so well that many are now including him in the future core along with Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. Hopefully, Nance can quickly move past this and return to the court soon.
UPDATE (February 1, 2016 at 12:53 PM PST): Los Angeles Lakers have decided to shut down Larry Nance Jr. until after the All-Star break according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN:
Lakers will indeed shut Larry Nance Jr down until after the All-Star break to help rest his sore right knee.
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) February 1, 2016
