Larry Nance Jr. had a roller coaster ride last season. He started the year with the Portland Trail Blazers but was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in the CJ McCollum deal. While his numbers aren’t anything to write home about, Nance Jr. still fills important roles for both teams. Larry Nance, son of former dunk champion, finally saw his persistence pay off. In Adrian Wojnarowski, the New Orleans Pelicans are signing the former Wyoming Cowboy to a two-year, $21.6 million contract extension. This is a big deal for both sides, as Larry Nance Jr. is entering the final year of his current deal and will help New Orleans solidify their young nucleus for the future.
The Pelicans sign Larry Nance Jr. to a two-year extension
Larry Nance Jr.: The Early Years
Larry Nance Jr. has had an interesting career so far. He averaged 8.1 points, 1.2 steals, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for his career. He has an effective field goal percentage of 56.2, a player efficiency rating of 16.4, and a career defensive winning percentage of 9.4. In his best season, Nance Jr. averaged 10.1 points per game with a field goal percentage of 53.1 percent and a three-point shooting percentage of 35.2 percent during the 2019-2020 campaign.
Larry Nance Jr. will never be the number one or two option on offense. It is not a role that serves with groups and it does not matter. What he offers is solid defense and a disruptor for the league’s elite wings. He was often tasked with guarding star wings like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George and others. Speaking of LeBron and PG13, Nance Jr. held both players under 10 points last year when guarding them. It would be a disservice to him to use his short time with the Los Angeles Lakers to judge his entire career. He had some great moments in Cleveland and Portland as he was able to play a reliable role and made a lot of plays that didn’t show up in the box score.
The Pelicans are moving forward
The New Orleans Pelicans wasted no time in locking up the main for the future. They also recently signed CJ McCollum to a veteran extension. The team will return Zion Williamson to health. The Pelicans now have their trio of stars solidified, but extending Larry Nance Jr. shows they understand the importance of getting quality supporting players around the top three. As this nucleus continues to play together, the chemistry will only get better and New Orleans will be a dark horse team for the future.
Many expect the Pelicans to be the surprise of the Western Conference this season. They certainly have talent. The team reached the playoffs and lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round last year. This was some valuable experience for their young players and now with other players such as Nance Jr., when they travel for a long time, great things can come for the New Orleans Pelicans.