As Larry Nance Jr. has come back to the Cleveland Cavaliers for this upcoming season, he is looking to help contribute to the team as a lateral move as they are in the quest for a championship. While the Cavs’ season ended in a crushing playoff exit to the Indiana Pacers in the second round, that outcome in some ways inspired Nance, leading to the present time.
According to Danny Cunningham, Nance would speak Tuesday about watching Cleveland as an outside when he’s been on different teams over the years like just recently with the Atlanta Hawks. He said that he’s a fan of the team, with obvious connections being he’s from Ohio, and that he felt he could help them by watching, which he can by adding to their frontcourt depth.
“When playing for the Hawks, playing for the Pelicans, yeah, I want them to win every game, but I was a Cavs fan,” Nance said. “So, watching the playoffs the past few years, it was hard not to just sit on the couch and kind of look, tap my wife and be like, I can help.”
This is a reunion for Nance and Cleveland as he played with the team from 2018 to 2021 before he went on to join the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans before his latest stop in Atlanta. Now, he comes back to his hometown team to “challenge for a title,” according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
“I’m just happy to be able to give all I have to help my hometown team challenge for a title,” Nance said.
Larry Nance Jr. joins a Cavs team that is hungrier than ever
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With the Cavs also adding Lonzo Ball via trade along with Nance and other moves, there is no doubt the team is retooling to compete. If anything, the team is more hungry than ever as Donovan Mitchell would speak about the disappointing playoff exit to Indiana.
“In my mind, it was like this is supposed to [happen]. Everybody says like you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans, and that was my plan,” Mitchell said to Taylor Rooks. “Like, alright, cool, 60 games, we’re on these win streaks, alright, cool. I’m not saying we took anything for granted at all by any means, but this felt like this was that time. I think everybody can agree with that.”
“I think that’s why when it ended so abruptly, like even in the summer I didn’t have any plans, I didn’t know what to do,” Mitchell continued. “That’s why I think I found myself, even though I was moving around and different things, I found myself just sitting there, just trying to process that we don’t play tomorrow.”
Cleveland is looking to further improve after finishing 64-18, which put them first in the East.
