Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. was a big addition by the franchise to try to help LeBron James last season, but with The King now gone, he wants to do even more to help.
In an interview during a Summer League game (H/T Fear The Sword for the transcription), Nance spoke about improving is play and increasing his role.
“I mean, I’ve been working on it since I got in the league,” he said during the broadcast. “But in L.A. I played a very carved-out role. And that’s how I carved my niche in the NBA, catching and finishing and all that. But hopefully now, with an expanded role in Cleveland, I can start working on the range and stretching out the court.”
“I want to be more dynamic,” Larry Nance said. “Grab a rebound. I average — whatever, I averaged seven rebounds a game. I want to be able to take three or four of those and bring it up the court myself and make decisions and make plays.”
If Nance becomes the type of athletic big who not only rebounds at a high clip, but can then push the tempo, it could really aid the Cavs in a post-LeBron world. Basically, in the simplest explanation possible, it would transform Nance into a multi-dimensional player — one with a much larger ceiling.
Only time will tell if that will actually happen. But the idea that he knows he has flaws in his game, and is willing to try to improve upon them, is a positive sign for Cleveland fans moving forward.