Cavs: It’s good to know Larry Nance Jr. should be back soon

Even while the Cleveland Cavaliers have rebounded after a 10-game losing streak last month and have won four of five, the Cavs have still missed Larry Nance Jr. for a considerable stretch here, nearing on a month.

Nance had been banged up previously in relation to a prior right wrist sprain, but he’d ultimately be sidelined for what’s been a sizable chunk because of a fractured fourth metacarpal on his left hand. That was revealed during an X-ray on Feb. 7, and oddly enough, Dylan Windler previously had the same injury, and missed 13 games earlier on in the season; his injury happened in Cleveland’s season opener.

It’s been tough for the Cavaliers to have been sans Nance during what’s been nearing on a month, and per the original timetable, Nance was expected to miss four-to-six weeks. Kevin Love has still been sidelined since Dec. 27, too, in relation to a right calf strain, of which he reaggravated, and Nance had been starting in place of him for much of the season.

Fortunately, though, it appears that right after the All-Star break, both Love and Nance “should” be back, according to Evan Dammarell of Forbes and Fear The Sword, and “possibly” Matthew Dellavedova. That was by Dammarell’s “estimation,” at least, but it was encouraging, especially when it comes to Nance.

Dellavedova has been working his way back into game shape in regards to a serious concussion he first endured on Dec. 12 in preseason action, and has had other concussions in his career. And Dellavedova also recently had his appendix removed the weekend before last.

Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor touched on how Nance has had his cast removed, and though there was “chatter” about a possible pre-All-Star break return for him, that didn’t play out. He’s reportedly expected to return in the opening game of the second half at the New Orleans Pelicans on March 12, per Fedor, and as Dammarell sensed.

Nance has participated in shooting workouts before Cleveland’s last handful of games, albeit with a protection pad on that left hand; that’s been a positive, though.

Granted, Fedor did also report how Love won’t be back until after the All-Star break, seemingly that New Orleans game, albeit “at the earliest.” Delly’s timetable again, is an uncertainty at this point, anyhow.

Nonetheless, it’s good to know that Nance should seemingly be back soon for the Cavs.

We’ll have to see when Nance is actually back of course, but this was again encouraging from Dammarell and Fedor previously. Now will Nance, whose hit a career-best 38.1 percent from three-point range this season, be able to be a viable catch-and-shoot player from deep?

It’s tough to say for that, and I’d think it could take him three-to-four games to really have that sort of feel back in the perimeter shooting sense, and just from a rhythm standpoint in that way. But that should come again in due time.

Nance is clearly a defensive difference-maker for the Cleveland Cavaliers, though, and he’s been tied for first in the league in steals per game this season (1.9) and diddo for deflections per game with 3.9, per NBA.com’s hustle data.

Nance’s ability to regularly defend 3’s and 4’s has been especially meaningful as well, and Nance’s fluidity/defensive IQ has enabled him to defend in switchout situations against guards pretty competently a solid chunk of the time when applicable.

Along with the defensive element, though, while I do give players like Taurean Prince, when he’s been in there at the 3/4, from a scoring standpoint, and two-way guy Lamar Stevens, for instance, his due as a defensive rotational forward, Nance’s playmaking has been missed.

Darius Garland has done a very nice job as a primary playmaker, considering Cleveland’s essentially been without a backup point guard, but Nance could definitely aid Garland in that realm when he’s back right away.

Although with Garland, while the break could’ve feasibly played into it for extra rest, Garland unfortunately suffered a left groin train and did not return after checking out midway in the third quarter in Wednesday’s loss. We’ll keep an eye out regarding that injury, anyhow.

Cleveland’s ball/man movement has been better in the past 5-6 games or so, though, albeit Nance has had a solid 13.4 percent assist rate this season, and has tied a career-high with 3.2 assists per outing. And the Cavs should benefit from him being back, as he just gets the ball hopping well with meaningful handoffs/passes off of those to counter, and also hits skip feeds, lobs on occasion and gets cutters quality shots.

Nance’s much-improved handle enables him to be a true grab-n-go threat off of defensive rebounds and/or steals, too, which should help the Cavaliers right away when he’s back. That’s with his passing vision/finishing capabilities in the open floor as well.

We’ll have to see in regards to Love and Delly, and Garland here, but it’s good to know, either way, that Nance is expected to return in that first outing of the second half for the Wine and Gold.