Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 Ways Larry Nance Jr. Can Improve Offensively

Score More Off the Catch and at the Free Throw Line

Being around a great on and off-ball screener in Thompson has enabled Nance to get much better at creating space for others. That’s not an insignificant skill set in a largely pick-and-roll NBA. Nonetheless, if both sides are “mutually interested in a contract extension,” (per Vardon), he’ll need to show he’s worth it.

That relates to being more than a roll man and lob finisher. The bloated Thompson contract is still hurting them, and one would hope Nance can provide more offensively in the near future. As was illustrated by Ashley Bastock of SB Nation’s Fear The Sword, “he knows he is going to have to expand even further.”

Bastock then went on to discuss how Nance wants to establish that he can be a legitimate jump shooter. That has some standing, even though, Fear The Sword’s Chris Manning isn’t buying it just yet.

“Last year, Nance’s jump shot was not a reliable tool,” Manning expressed. Well, for me, there is some reason for optimism. Although he has only taken 5.6 shots per game on average in his career, Nance could be much better with more chances. He’s a lifetime 42.0 percent shooter from 16 feet to the three-point line, and that’s constituted 19.3 percent of his shots, per Basketball-Reference. That was highlighted in Nance’s game last season against the Detroit Pistons, where he posted a career-high 22 points.

If he even has just a mid-range shot to some volume going forward, it will open up more of the paint for Cedi Osman, Collin Sexton, and Rodney Hood drives. Love would get more space to operate as well.

Combine an improved stroke via mentorship from Love and (at least for now) Kyle Korver, he should improve on his career 68.9 percent free-throw shooting efficiency. In addition, Nance is a heady passer with ball-handling prowess post-rebound, and with more time with Osman and Sexton, that could give Lue more layers. He needs to pad his offensive boards, too, especially with Love being the first option offensively.