With the NBA season now about two weeks in, we’ve seen plenty of surprises early on this campaign. Though a little more under the radar, Larry Nance Jr. has been performing admirably as the starting power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers after winning the job from Julius Randle over the summer.
It was a surprise to see Nance Jr. implemented into the starting 5, especially with it being a contract year for Randle but head coach Luke Walton likes the energy the Kentucky product brought off the bench. However, things may have to shift in a big way now as Lakers reporter Mike Trudell reports that Nance Jr. fractured the second metacarpal in his left hand during last night’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers:
Correction from the Lakers re: Larry Nance, Jr.: “X-rays were positive for fracture of the 2nd metacarpal – left hand.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 3, 2017
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Nance will miss 4-6 weeks with his injury.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. is undergoing surgery Friday to repair his fractured left hand and there is an expectation that he will miss four to six weeks, league sources told ESPN.
Losing Larry Nance Jr. for an extended period of time is a big blow for a youthful Lakers team working to find their chemistry. With question marks about Randle’s future in LA, Nance Jr. could be the future at that 4 spot though rookie Kyle Kuzma has appeared to be a steal in the early going.
Nance Jr. was posting solid average numbers of 10.6 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds. Known most for his flashy dunking abilities, Nance Jr. had also evolved into the perfect roll man to complement rookie point guard Lonzo Ball.
With Nance Jr. sidelined without a timetable, expect either Randle or Kuzma to draw the start while both will see increased minutes. If Walton wants to go the veteran route, he could plug in experienced combo forward Luol Deng.
It’ll be interesting to see how this Lakers frontcourt responds not without one of their key cogs for the foreseeable future.
