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[Nance] started 14 games last season, averaging 14.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and shooting .504 from the field. Coaches love him for the modern game. - Terry Pluto
In five March games, with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff utilizing Nance as a small forward at various points, he was averaging 15.6 points on 55.4% shooting and 45% from 3-point range to go with 7.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists (in 37 minutes per game). - Chris Fedor
(Those numbers over the course of a season would make him one of the better all-around small forwards in the league. For example, Jimmy Butler shot 45.5%, 24.4% on 3's, with 6.7 rebounds and 6 assists. However, I'm not sure how many of Nance's 37 minutes were at small forward).
The Nance-Love-Drummond combination played eight games, averaging almost eight minutes on the floor. They averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, along with a +/- of 6.3. - Kelsey Russo
(20.5 points scored in 8 minutes comes out to about 123 points in 48 minutes, and that doesn't include what the guards scored).
Just (a) gritty, tough winner. That’s all you can see, even when the ball wasn’t going in. When he isn’t doing well on offense, he will take it out on his defender and come out and play better (defense). Some people won’t do that. If the offense isn’t clicking, they’re still thinking about it at the other end. Larry [Nance Jr] is just such a key part of this team, of this culture, of our future…. Watch this thing grow. With culture guys like him we will be like Miami one day. - John Bielien
My quick look at the stats for last year shows that Nance was the best player on the team among those who got heavy minutes.
Overall the Cavs were 6.0 points per 100 possessions better when Nance was on the floor. The only players higher were Zizic and Henson in small samples and Delly in about half as many possessions. The Cavs were 8.4 pts better when Delly was in the game but I don't know how many of those minutes were against second units in garbage time.
I found one line of on/off court data for when Nance played small forward. The lineup was Drummond, Love, Nance, Sexton, and Delly, which we could put on the court again this year. It was only 33 possessions so the sample is very small, but that lineup outscored the opponents by 33.3 points per 100 possessions, averaging about 139 points while allowing 106. The offensive rebound rate was 33.3%, which would be in the top 1% in the league. The opponents' offensive rebound rate of 16.7% would be in the lowest 1%. That front line owned the glass at both ends.
Nance may not excel in any one area but he contributes in a lot of ways. The numbers show the Cavs improve in nearly every category when he is on the floor except for effective field goal percentage and offensive rebound percentage, both of which decrease by less than 1%. Turnovers decline by 1.7% when Nance is on the floor, putting him in the 90th percentile. At the same time, opponents' turnovers increase 1.8%, putting him in the 89th percentile.
Opponents' points per possession decrease by 4.2% when Nance is on the floor, putting him in the 81st percentile in how much he improves his team defensively. Not an elite defender, but well above average.
When Bickerstaff is putting together the five-man unit he wants on the floor for the last half of the fourth quarter in a close game, I don't see how he doesn't include Nance. Windler is a rookie who hasn't played in 20 months. Okoro is a 19-year-old rookie. Cedi is a defensive liability whose on/off numbers are below average across the board. I'm not saying these players won't contribute this year, but in crunch time the best lineup will probably be Drummond, Love, and Nance in the front court with some combination of Garland, Sexton, Porter, or Delly at the guard spots.
If that turns out to be our best lineup, why shouldn't it start and play more minutes than any other grouping?
Nance said he's been working hard on his perimeter game in anticipation of playing more 3 this year (that was before we drafted Okoro and all the mocks had us taking Toppin). I'd like to see some lineups with a front line of Drummond/McGee, Love, and Nance.
In five March games, with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff utilizing Nance as a small forward at various points, he was averaging 15.6 points on 55.4% shooting and 45% from 3-point range to go with 7.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists (in 37 minutes per game). - Chris Fedor
(Those numbers over the course of a season would make him one of the better all-around small forwards in the league. For example, Jimmy Butler shot 45.5%, 24.4% on 3's, with 6.7 rebounds and 6 assists. However, I'm not sure how many of Nance's 37 minutes were at small forward).
The Nance-Love-Drummond combination played eight games, averaging almost eight minutes on the floor. They averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, along with a +/- of 6.3. - Kelsey Russo
(20.5 points scored in 8 minutes comes out to about 123 points in 48 minutes, and that doesn't include what the guards scored).
Just (a) gritty, tough winner. That’s all you can see, even when the ball wasn’t going in. When he isn’t doing well on offense, he will take it out on his defender and come out and play better (defense). Some people won’t do that. If the offense isn’t clicking, they’re still thinking about it at the other end. Larry [Nance Jr] is just such a key part of this team, of this culture, of our future…. Watch this thing grow. With culture guys like him we will be like Miami one day. - John Bielien
My quick look at the stats for last year shows that Nance was the best player on the team among those who got heavy minutes.
Overall the Cavs were 6.0 points per 100 possessions better when Nance was on the floor. The only players higher were Zizic and Henson in small samples and Delly in about half as many possessions. The Cavs were 8.4 pts better when Delly was in the game but I don't know how many of those minutes were against second units in garbage time.
I found one line of on/off court data for when Nance played small forward. The lineup was Drummond, Love, Nance, Sexton, and Delly, which we could put on the court again this year. It was only 33 possessions so the sample is very small, but that lineup outscored the opponents by 33.3 points per 100 possessions, averaging about 139 points while allowing 106. The offensive rebound rate was 33.3%, which would be in the top 1% in the league. The opponents' offensive rebound rate of 16.7% would be in the lowest 1%. That front line owned the glass at both ends.
Nance may not excel in any one area but he contributes in a lot of ways. The numbers show the Cavs improve in nearly every category when he is on the floor except for effective field goal percentage and offensive rebound percentage, both of which decrease by less than 1%. Turnovers decline by 1.7% when Nance is on the floor, putting him in the 90th percentile. At the same time, opponents' turnovers increase 1.8%, putting him in the 89th percentile.
Opponents' points per possession decrease by 4.2% when Nance is on the floor, putting him in the 81st percentile in how much he improves his team defensively. Not an elite defender, but well above average.
When Bickerstaff is putting together the five-man unit he wants on the floor for the last half of the fourth quarter in a close game, I don't see how he doesn't include Nance. Windler is a rookie who hasn't played in 20 months. Okoro is a 19-year-old rookie. Cedi is a defensive liability whose on/off numbers are below average across the board. I'm not saying these players won't contribute this year, but in crunch time the best lineup will probably be Drummond, Love, and Nance in the front court with some combination of Garland, Sexton, Porter, or Delly at the guard spots.
If that turns out to be our best lineup, why shouldn't it start and play more minutes than any other grouping?
Nance said he's been working hard on his perimeter game in anticipation of playing more 3 this year (that was before we drafted Okoro and all the mocks had us taking Toppin). I'd like to see some lineups with a front line of Drummond/McGee, Love, and Nance.