With the right medial femoral condyle fracture that Atlanta Hawks forward-center Larry Nance Jr. sustained on Feb. 10 (at the Orlando Magic) set to be re-evaluated after the regular season, the 10-year NBA veteran will join forward Jalen Johnson, center Clint Capela, and guard Kobe Bufkin on the sidelines. It’s a familiar scenario for the Hawks, at least in their Trae Young Era. Since the Oklahoman was drafted in 2018, at least one key player has missed 20+ games in every season.
John Collins. De’Andre Hunter. Cam Reddish. Bogdan Bogdanovic. Onyeka Okongwu.
Young, who tore his pinky last season, hasn’t been spared either.
Will Hawks Re-Sign Larry Nance Jr.?
Fortunately for the Hawks, Nance isn’t exactly irreplaceable.
Nonetheless, the now 32-year-old was turning heads with his play prior to his injury. Indeed, he even sounded like a player opposing teams would target as a trade or buyout option. The volume of his counting stats don’t have a wow factor, but they highlight his versatile skillset. He was also shooting 44.7 percent from 3, which will now go down as his career-high.
Atlanta has also praised Nance’s intangibles.
To that point, though Dyson Daniels has been a better fit than Dejounte Murray, the Seattle native was truly considered to be a locker room leader by his teammates. On the court, he held them accountable. Off the court, he got to know them outside of basketball.
That being said, those personal characteristics aren’t shared by every player. They’re not easy to teach either. Thus, the Hawks may have a better tag team partner for Young now, but Daniels leads by example more than he does vocally. This is where Nance comes in.
Rings Vs. Vibes
When there’s a genuinely nice person that happens to be a teammate, that’s a great combination for players. When said person is willing to be a resource for younger players, it’s even better. With that in mind, ever since he’s been in the NBA, Nance has been charismatic and mature. So, it made plenty of sense when he emerged as a vocal leader during Hawks training camp.
The fact that he also makes a steady on-court contribution separates him from veteran like former Miami Heat forward-center Udonis Haslem. In his later years, Haslem was more of a glorified end-of-bench coach than a player. Nance isn’t a bench ornament though. He’s a frontcourt piece whose blend of mobility, size, and athleticism helps him guard multiple positions. He also has the basketball IQ to be a playmaker at either end of the floor.
It’s a shame that he’s on the final year of his contract and will be a free agent this offseason.
The early indications are that the two sides will break ground on a new deal in the summer. Nance may have other suitors but they might not give him a difficult enough decision from a financial standpoint. That being said, Nance could hope to sign with a title-contender instead, hoping to win his first ring.
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