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Larry Nance Jr. is a liability for the Cleveland Cavaliers

By Nathan Beighle

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 13: Larry Nance Jr. #22 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on March 13, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 13: Larry Nance Jr. #22 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on March 13, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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One of the Cleveland Cavaliers most effective big men, Larry Nance Jr., has been an on-court liability throughout their first four postseason games.

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Larry Nance Jr. in hopes that he could bring the tenacity they’ve lost since the decline of Tristan Thompson. He’s done that, but in this series, he’s been better off on the bench.

Before we get into the numbers behind why Nance Jr. has been almost unplayable, there’s a simple logic that has basically rendered traditional big men useless in some matchups.

Teams like Indiana play five shooters, even center Myles Turner can shoot from deep. The Pacers backup center, Domatas Sabonis, can also step behind the arc and shoot with some efficiency. The ability for the Pacers to play five shooters has made it difficult for Nance defensively.

Of the Cavaliers nine players to play over 50 minutes in their opening four games, Nance Jr. has the team’s worst net rating at -9.7. To add to that, he has one of the team’s worst defensive rating at 112.5, over 10 points higher than the Cavs postseason average.

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Both those have been significantly worse than they were in the regular season. In the regular season, Nance Jr. had a net rating of 6.6 and a defensive rating of 102.5. However, in the regular season, the Cavaliers weren’t facing teams laced with shooters every single game.

Indiana’s frontcourt size and athleticism combined with their shooting abilities have made it difficult for Lue to play of his most efficient player in Nance Jr.

That said, Nance Jr. is a liability.

Without a steady post move or even a mediocre outside shot, Nance Jr. was supposed to be in the rotation, but as the series moves forward, he’s seemingly lost his rotational spot. Lue has opted to play his starters big time minutes instead of digging deeper into his bench.

From 29 minutes to 24 to 18 to 15, Nance Jr.’s minutes have continued to dip as Lue has figured out that he might not be a great option.

The Pacers have forced the Cavs to play with just one big on the court at all times, and with Love getting the bulk of those minutes, Nance Jr. and Thompson have virtually been irrelevant.

However, it’s difficult to not play a player of Nance’s caliber. Lue knows that Nance is the Cavs most athletic big and can play above the rim more than other Cav. He’s also proven to be tenacious on the offensive glass, posting the Cavs second best offensive rebounding rate this postseason.

Nance’s inability to get meaningful minutes is just another chapter in the ever-evolving NBA. Every player must shoot, and when one team lines the court shooters, the other team must follow in most cases.

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For that reason, Nance Jr. will continue to be a liability for the Cleveland Cavaliers this series.