Larry Nance Jr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Russell, Young, Nance

March 31st, 2016 at 10:28am CST by Chuck Myron

Nick Young has accepted D’Angelo Russell‘s apology over the controversial video that had seem to drive a wedge between Russell and his teammates, a source told Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Lakers players reportedly shunned Russell following the public release of a video he secretly recorded that depicted Young talking about women other than his fiancee. Russell apologized to the team before Wednesday’s win over Miami, Jordan Clarkson said, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (on Twitter), and the rookie expressed profound contrition in an interview with The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

“The thing is, we record ourselves doing dumb stuff all the time,” Russell said. “On the road or home, wherever. We go back and watch what we did and said and laugh at ourselves. I guess I just never thought that these pranks we pull on ourselves could have bigger consequences. That was a big lesson I learned. I’ve said to myself over and over: What could anyone possibly gain by intentionally doing something that could hurt someone else’s relationship? I never wanted to hurt anyone. I’m sorry for it.”

The flap that temporarily cast the future of last year’s No. 2 overall pick in doubt seemed to dissipate amid the team’s victory and the appearance of Lamar Odom, who attended his first NBA game after a health scare that threatened his life in October. Kobe Bryant said after the game that Odom’s recovery stands as an example for Russell of how a dire situation can improve over time, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). See more on the Lakers:

A prominent agent who spoke with Sean Deveney of The Sporting News laughed off the notion that players around the league would be reluctant to play with the Lakers if Russell is still on the team, and Deveney suggests the long-term implications of the video incident are overblown. Given Young’s poor production this season, his status on the team is more tenuous than Russell’s, Deveney insists.
The agent pointed to the Lakers’ money and geographic location as reasons why they’re a draw for players, but the results of this past offseason, when LaMarcus Aldridge and others spurned the team, say otherwise, contends Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, who believes the team’s issues go far beyond the video.
Larry Nance Jr. had never played small forward before this season, but the Lakers have him at the three now and will keep him at the position for summer-league play with an eye toward using him as a long-term complement to power forward Julius Randle, as Medina details.

Lakers Mull Early End To Season For Larry Nance Jr.

February 23rd, 2016 at 7:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers are thinking about having Larry Nance Jr. miss the rest of the season to allow soreness in his surgically repaired right knee to heal, coach Byron Scott said, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The plan for now is to evaluate the knee and see whether he can play in the team’s next game Wednesday, Holmes writes, noting that the Lakers took him out of Monday’s game for what Nance described as precautionary reasons. He’s missed nine of the last 12 games because of the knee.

It’s too late in the season for the Lakers to apply for a disabled player exception, which the team could otherwise receive if Nance had a season-ending injury. The 23-year-old is the only Laker dealing with a serious ailment for now, so a hardship exception for a 16th roster spot, a provision the NBA granted an injury-racked Lakers team late last season, isn’t in play.

The Lakers are in position to worry far more about lottery position and retaining their top-three protected first-round pick than the playoffs, so the greater concern would appear to center on Nance’s long-term health. He tore the ACL in his right knee during the 2013/14 season when he was a junior at the University of Wyoming but recovered well enough to play 31 games as a senior and become the 27th overall pick this past June. The power forward plays a highly athletic style, so any serious knee issue is liable to compromise that. He started 22 games this season before knee trouble flared up last month.

Lakers Rumors: Bryant, Scott, Nance Jr.

January 16th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kobe Bryant will not be part of the 2016 Olympic team, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Bryant, who is retiring after this season, said he wants his final game to be in a Lakers uniform. He won gold medals in 2008 and 2012, but decided he’ll leave 2016 to the younger players, saying, “I think it’s their time.” Bryant added that he has no interest in broadcasting once his career is finished (Twitter link).

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Coach Byron Scott may be ready to give more responsibility to the younger Lakers, Medina writes. That means the first-round picks from the last two seasons, Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell, could be called on to close out games along with rookies Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown and second-year combo guard Jordan Clarkson. “It’s all about getting these young guys to continue to develop,” Scott said. “Then the winning part comes into that as well. We’ve been in a bunch of games. Now we have to get to the point where these guys learn how to close these games out.”
Nance has been the most surprising of the youthful Lakers, according to Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. The 27th overall pick in last year’s draft, Nance has made an impression with his leaping ability and outside shooting. “When it is all said and done and we look at their careers, Larry Nance Jr. may be the more advanced out of all these players,” TNT analyst Reggie Miller said this week. “He has the most energy.”

Western Notes: Bryant, Fredette, Payne, Nance

January 6th, 2016 at 1:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers simply can’t concentrate on developing young players as they otherwise would because they need to give Kobe Bryant a “justified farewell” as he plays his final season, GM Mitch Kupchak contended in an interview with Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Kupchak expounded on comments he made in a recent meeting with season ticket-holders in which he said the team can’t fully move forward with Bryant still present, though he made it clear that the franchise has no reservations about giving Bryant his due. Kupchak argued to Holmes that the attention Bryant draws allows the young players to grow outside the harsh glare of the spotlight, calling it a “silver lining” to the situation, and the GM also insisted the team will be in better position to attract free agents this summer than it was last year.

“I think we’ll see enough [from the young players],” Kupchak said. “Yeah, I think we’ll see enough. I do. Kobe has been really good lately. He looks like he’s trying to fit in and play the right way. Yeah, I think we’ll see enough. Is it going to come as quick as you want? I mean, D’Angelo [Russell] is going to be 20. They all want it now, but it’s just going to take a year or two or three. But it’s certainly going to be a lot more attractive than what we had to offer last summer.”

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Utah has an open roster spot after waiving Elijah Millsap on Tuesday, but while Jimmer Fredette, who’s eligible to sign with any NBA team, is still a fan favorite from his days at BYU, the Jazz signaled their lack of interest when they passed him up in this season’s D-League draft, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. The team doubts his ability to play NBA-caliber defense and doesn’t want to deal with the crush of local interest that signing him would entail, Genessy adds (Twitter link).
Thunder coach Billy Donovan‘s decision to put rookie Cameron Payne in the rotation has helped a talented second unit to finally play up to its abilities, as Royce Young of ESPN.com examines. The process hasn’t been without hiccups, but Payne’s emergence is nonetheless one more selling point the Thunder have to use in their pitch to retain Kevin Durant this summer, Young writes.
Others still on the draft board seemed to be more likely candidates for the Lakers when they instead picked Larry Nance Jr. 27th overall this past summer, but after starting him at power forward for a month, coach Byron Scott thinks the situation has flipped, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “If you were probably to re-do the draft, he’d be a lottery pick,” Scott said. “So obviously, we got a steal.”

Pacific Notes: Russell, Chandler, Nance Jr.

January 1st, 2016 at 10:50am CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite his early season struggles, the Lakers say they have no regrets about selecting point guard D’Angelo Russell with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft over center Jahlil Okafor or big man Kristaps Porzingis, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. When asked if he was satisfied with his rookie first-rounder, GM Mitch Kupchak told Medina, “Absolutely. We’re very happy. He’s going to be a really good player.” Lakers assistant coach Larry Lewis also agrees with Kupchak’s assessment of Russell, Medina adds. “He’s ahead of all the guys in his class with his work ethic, the passes he makes and the way he thinks through the game,” Lewis said. “Like any rookie and young athlete, he’s going to make some mistakes. But he’s making mistakes that are teaching him different things to recognize.”

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Despite the Kings‘ struggles this season, coach George Karl is pleased with the makeup of the team’s locker room as compared to last season, James Ham of CSNBayArea.com relays (on Twitter). “This locker room is a hell of a lot better than it was last year,” Karl said. “This locker room has some leaders and pros.”
It’s time for the Suns to hit the reset button and begin a full roster rebuild, Andrew Joseph of The Arizona Republic opines. Joseph points to the 2013/14 season, when Phoenix unexpectedly won 48 games, as when things began to go bad for the franchise, and cautions that management needs to stick to its plan regardless of any short-term success the team may encounter. The Arizona Republic scribe also notes that the offseason signing of Tyson Chandler is looking like a bust, with the big man easily having the worst season of his career.
Lakers rookie forward Larry Nance Jr. is confident that he can evolve into a stretch-four and become more than just a player known for his dunking ability, Medina writes in a separate piece. “Yeah, it’ll happen,” Nance Jr. told Medina. “I’m a rookie and I got lots of years to perfect my craft and work on my game. I’m getting very comfortable shooting the 15- and 18-footer. I’ve got multiple years and multiple summers to be able to work that out to the 3-point line. I’m very confident.”

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Morris, Nance Jr.

December 28th, 2015 at 4:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In an interview with Tzvi Twersky of Slamoline.com, Kings center DeMarcus Cousins said that he believes because he’s been on a struggling team for his entire career he doesn’t get the credit for being a tough leader the way that the Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett has. “This is what I’ve come to conclude: Winning covers up everything,” Cousins told Twersky. “If KG was always losing and was the same person, they would think he was the worst guy ever. That’s basically the situation I’m in. Since I’m losing, no one loves a loser—everyone loves a winner. That’s how it goes. I don’t see a difference between me and Joakim Noah. If anything, I feel Joakim has more crazy moments than I do—but his is passion, mine are an attitude or anger problems.”

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

It’s unclear if and when the Suns will look to trade disgruntled forward Markieff Morris, but there are a number of teams that are intrigued with the combo forward and his reasonable contract, Chris Mannix of SI.com relays (Twitter links). There is likely too much bad blood between Morris and the Suns organization for that relationship to be salvaged, but there is belief around the league that Morris can thrive in a different environment than Phoenix’s, Mannix adds.
The Lakers have moved rookie Larry Nance Jr. into the starting lineup thanks to his energy and versatility, but he’ll need to look for his shot more often if he wants to continue in that role, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. “I talked to him today that again when you have an open shot, you got to take the shot,” coach Byron Scott said. “[I told him] ‘You have a nice enough stroke’ and if he can make them on a consistent basis, the defense will start to respect him. But he moves the ball. That’s the only thing about Larry. He doesn’t take a lot of shots; he doesn’t even take the ones that are open. That’s one of the main reasons we changed the starting lineup – to get more ball movement.“

Pacific Notes: Curry, Nance Jr., Kerr

December 23rd, 2015 at 7:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. has impressed the team’s coaching staff with his work ethic and versatility, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. “Well, the one thing that Larry does for us is gives us a guy who is going to play the right way every single time on the basketball court,” coach Byron Scott said. “He’s never trying to play outside the box. He’s going to give you everything he’s got. He’s got great athleticism. But he works his butt off, he plays extremely hard. Trying to get him to take open shots when he has them. He’s been reluctant at times to do that. But he’s been one of those guys that just does everything that you want him to do.“

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kings coach George Karl has settled on the primary eight players in his rotation, but he would still like to find extra minutes for combo guard Seth Curry, who has been solid during his limited playing time this season, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. When asked how he can get Curry on the court more consistently, Karl responded, “That’s a tough question. Every morning, [the coaches] talk about playing more players, but when you get into the nature of the game, it is my instincts. … None of my ones, twos or threes are playing poorly, so there’s no reason to take minutes from anybody. I hope Seth is patient, and I think sometimes experimenting at home is easier to do than on the road.”
Despite the excellent job done by interim coach Luke Walton, the Warriors need Steve Kerr to return if they hope to repeat as NBA champions, an assessment that star point guard Stephen Curry agrees with, Mark Purdy of The San Jose Mercury News writes. “He just has a way of refocusing guys,” Curry said of Kerr. “And that’s whether it’s in the middle of the game or day to day at practice. Even if we’re playing well or winning games or not, there’s always something we can work on. And he presents it in a way that kind of fuels us as opposed to, like, calling guys out. … There’s a subtle or joking way he gets his point across that we appreciate.“
The Lakers have recalled Ryan Kelly and Tarik Black from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the second stint with the D-Fenders on the season for both players.

Lakers Rumors: Rotation, Bryant, Nance Jr.

November 27th, 2015 at 8:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers coach Byron Scott is pondering some rotation changes, though he may wait a few more games to see if things improve, according to Lakers.com’s Joey Ramirez. Scott wouldn’t say whether changes to playing time would affect the starters or bench, though he’s already tinkered with the second unit. Guards D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, power forward Julius Randle and center Roy Hibbert have started every game, as has small forward Kobe Bryant when Scott hasn’t given him the night off. “I would love to play the same type of rotation and get productivity from both [units],” Scott said to the assembled media after practice. “But that’s not happening on a consistent basis. And then when it doesn’t, you have to make changes.” But Scott also preached patience, adding he wants “to give it a few more games” before he makes any moves.

In other news regarding the club:

Scott has no plans to bench Bryant, ESPN.com’s Baxter Holmes reports. “I would never, never, never do that,” Scott told the media after practice on Friday. “That’s not an option whatsoever. No, that’s not an option.” Bryant is shooting a career-low 31.1% and ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus Ratings place Bryant 379th in the NBA and 73rd for small forwards.
A willingness to chase rebounds and accept a limited offensive role has earned Larry Nance Jr. a rotation spot in his rookie season, NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper writes. Nance has the maturity to carry out his role, which has endeared him to Scott, as he told Howard-Cooper. “He doesn’t go outside that box,” Scott said. “He sticks within himself. But he plays hard. That’s the thing I love about Larry.”
The team assigned rookie small forward Anthony Brown to the D-League, the D-Fenders announced via Twitter. Brown, a second-round pick out of Stanford, has played nine minutes over three games with the Lakers.

Pacific Notes: Rondo, Jordan, Walton, Nance Jr.

November 14th, 2015 at 4:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan has demonstrated growth since last season, with his play on the court, as well as in his overall maturity level, Justin Verrier of ESN.com writes. “I don’t know if it’s necessarily because of what happened this offseason, but I’d say he’s been more mature, more focused. He’s been a better leader,” shooting guard J.J. Redick said. “I’d say the same about Blake Griffin, I would say the same thing about Chris. Those guys are really locked in. It goes without saying — they just want to win a championship, and we have to follow that lead.” Redick is of course referring to Jordan almost joining the Mavericks as an unrestricted free agent before suddenly reversing course and deciding to re-sign with Los Angeles via a four-year, $87.6MM pact.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Despite all the reports of turmoil in Sacramento, one bright spot for the team has been the recent play of point guard Rajon Rondo, who has impressed embattled coach George Karl with his orchestration of the Kings‘ offense, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. “Rajon is very intelligent there, and I think he’s ahead of the curve,” Karl said. “I’ve been surprised by the numbers he’s putting up from the standpoint of understanding our team.”
Luke Walton has been performing admirably filling in as interim coach for the Warriors while coach Steve Kerr recovers from multiple back surgeries, guiding the team to a 10-0 start to the 2015/16 season. While Walton is anxious for Kerr to return to the team, he also adds that he would like to become a head coach on a more permanent basis down the line, Ben Golliver of SI.com relays. “I would love to at some point. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s enjoyable,” Walton responded when asked about potentially becoming a full-time head coach. “It’s something I would like to do one day with my own team. That’s nothing I’m trying to rush into. I’m just grateful for this opportunity and learning. As hectic as this has been and as crazy as this has been, obviously I can’t wait for Steve to get back. I’ll be thrilled to hand this thing over to Steve once he’s ready.”
Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. credits his four years as a starter for the University of Wyoming for preparing him for the rigors of the NBA, and believes his experience gives him an edge over many other first year players, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “I’m not taking anything away from the young guys to the guys that come out early. Obviously you can look around the league and you can look around our locker room,” said Nance. “But I think we’ve grown up mentally and may be a little bit more ready physically.”

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Cauley-Stein, Nance

October 15th, 2015 at 2:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jason Thompson sees the difference between the Kings and the Warriors as “kind of night and day,” notes Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area. The big man is starting his first NBA season with a team other than Sacramento thanks to a pair of trades that took him to Golden State by way of Philadelphia.

“You can tell it’s a first-class organization,” Thompson said of the Warriors. “No offense to Sac, but there was no stability in the seven years that I was there. You could just tell, from Day 1, when the trade went through, how differently things went on and off the court. Regardless of this being my eighth season, I’m trying to learn what it takes to win and be around that atmosphere. I’m kind of soaking up all of the information with a sponge. It’s not going to change overnight, but you can just tell things are sharper and things are going to be more crisp as preseason and as practices go.”

Thompson, a starter for most of his time with the Kings, said he’s OK with the uncertainty regarding his role, Poole adds. See more from the Pacific:

By contrast, Kings rookie Willie Cauley-Stein knows his role and is comfortable with being the team’s “junk man,” as he said to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Just how the career of this year’s No. 6 overall pick will turn out depends largely on whether he can rebound consistently, Voisin believes.
Larry Nance Jr. thinks the Lakers used this year’s No. 27 overall pick on him because of his jumping ability and his 6’9″, 230-pound frame, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. “I think I’m just something different. I’m someone that’s long, lanky, lean,” Nance said. “I want to run the floor and be as athletic as I can and really change the pace of the game when I come in. When you put me on the court, don’t worry about me, I’ll find my own stuff on offense.”
Lakers coach Byron Scott likes the poise he’s seen from Nance so far, but the power forward told Bresnahan for the same story that he still feels he’s only about 85-90% recovered from the torn right ACL he suffered in March 2014, even though he’s been medically cleared for almost a year.