For the last few seasons, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting frontcourt has been a strength. Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen have been one of the better big man duos in the league since 2022, but the problem Cleveland had was their lack of depth behind them.
The Cavs have rotated through their third big spot for the last few years. Dean Wade has been the most ideal fit, but he has battled injuries and inconsistency in big moments. Tristan Thompson was a mainstay the last two seasons, but was largely ineffective, and a far cry from his 2016 form.
Not having a viable frontcourt option off their bench has compromised Cleveland in the playoffs as well. They have had to rely on Mobley and Allen a lot, and with Allen’s no-shows from time to time in the spring, there haven’t been options to combat that.
The Cavs have finally found the solution for their reserve big man spot in Larry Nance Jr.
Larry Nance Jr. has been exactly what the Cavs have been missing
Nance Jr. was with the team for their last NBA Finals appearance in 2018, and during the early portions of Cleveland’s rebuild until he was traded in 2021. When he re-signed with the Cavaliers this past summer, it was the long-awaited reunion both sides had needed. The early returns have been positive.
Nance Jr. has grown as a player since the last time he was in Northeast Ohio. He is taking more 3-point shots, and has shown a more viable handle, while still being a versatile defender.
He has been inefficient to start the year (30-24-33 shooting splits), but the little things he is doing well is what the Cavs have been lacking from their backup bigs.
Nance Jr. has been extremely active defensively, averaging two deflections per game. He has shown great synergy with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley early on, as the trio has a +4.1 net rating together on the court.
This includes a stifling 104.1 defensive rating in their 49 possessions. Nance Jr.’s ability to fit in with the core four was a big reason why he was signed. While he has not taken the court with Darius Garland yet this season, the two were locker buddies during Nance’s first stint in Cleveland, so they shouldn’t have issues with chemistry.
The forward had a nice first four game to begin the year, but has since tailed off in his last three, going 1-of-18 from the field and 0-of-11 from deep. However, Nance is still doing the little things well, as he had five deflections against the Atlanta Hawks, and has been setting strong screens to free ball-handlers.
Even with his up-and-down play so far, Nance Jr. has been an improvement from what the Cavs had in their reserve big spot the last few seasons. As the year goes on, and as he gets more comfortable, his value to the team will be even more apparent.