Nance Jr. Blog

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Cavaliers Backup Big Breaks Down the Boston Matchup

by Larry Nance Jr. (@Larrydn22)
5/17/18 | Cavs.com

It’s been an up-and-down journey for Larry Nance Jr. in his first foray in the NBA Playoffs. Through the first three rounds, consistent minutes have been tough to come by for the third-year pro out of Wyoming.

Nance appeared in 24 regular season contests with Cleveland, including nine starts, but as the rotations have tightened up in the postseason, the high-flying son of a Cavaliers legend has had to scrap for playing time.

On Tuesday night in Boston, Nance was the first big off the bench as the Cavaliers built up an 11-point first-half lead before succumbing in the second half – notching three boards and a pair of steals in just over 11 minutes of work.

As Nance and the Cavaliers gear up for the biggest game of the season on Saturday night – trying to get on the board against a Celtics team that drew first blood – he sat down with Cavs.com to talk about his recent run and what the Wine &amp; Gold have to do to get back in the series ...

Tuesday night’s loss up in Boston was a tough one. But I was glad to get back in the rotation.

It was my job just to go out there and play hard, play defense -- just see if I can stir up some trouble and break up the rhythm of the game. And I feel like I accomplished that in the first half, for the most part. I was content with that.

In the second half, I found a hard time getting into a rhythm; it was a pretty quick in and out. So, I'm just staying positive, staying optimistic that when I get my chances I'll make the best of them. It's coming.

It’s not easy getting into a rhythm when you’re not exactly sure when your minutes are going to come. There's a rhythm thing.

I pretty much sat out the entire Toronto series, so coming back and getting thrown in there like that it -- I was ecstatic to be playing, but there's a rhythm that needs to be established again.

But I know that just comes with time and time on the court and really just through playing hard. So that's really my focus.

Coach Lue told me last game that I was definitely going to be the first big off the bench, so that's great; I was really looking forward to that. And if that's what he chooses to do on Saturday, I'll be ready. If not, I'll be the best teammate there can be.

Larry Nance Jr. passes by some significant signage on his way to the locker room at The Q.
Photo by Jason Miller/NBAE via Getty Images

It was fun going up against Aron Baynes in Game 2. He's a big dude.

But, you know, with guys like that, as long as it’s just physicality, it's no big deal. He's not dirty; guys like that aren't dirty or anything like that. So, I can handle all the physicality, all the pushing and shoving underneath, things like that because, you know, I'm a big guy too.

So honestly, I like going against guys like that.

All of it – going against Baynes, sitting out most of the Second Round – it’s all a new experience for me. And like anything, it’s an adjustment.

There's definitely a little bit of like: 'OK, this is what the Playoffs are like.' Now I see, going into next year, that I've got to really prepare for this going forward. It’s a whole extra two months of intense basketball added on to the season.

So, it's definitely a learning experience -- hopefully the first time of many. And I'll definitely learn from it and come back next year a little more prepared.

As draining as the Playoffs can be physically, it’s almost as demanding from a mental aspect. You have to ride an emotional rollercoaster and maintain your focus and intensity throughout.

"They did what they were supposed to do. Now it's time for us to answer."

Nance Jr. on the Mindset as the Series Shifts to Cleveland

This postseason has gone from Indiana taking us to seven games, having a hard time with them in that series -- both individually and as a team to Toronto, where for first time in my career, I sat. So that was an experience, but as a team, we swept them. So I'm thrilled with that, and yet it was kind of bittersweet.

Now with the Boston series, I'm just trying to go into it with an open mind and just be ready for whatever is thrown my way.

It's just professionalism. Everybody around keeps telling me: ‘Stay ready -- it'll bounce back to you. Stay ready, it's coming.’

And now that it's bounced back to me, I just have to be prepared to make the best out of it.

In your first go-round, you also learn that things can change drastically from one series to the next. You see some series where, for example against Indiana: Kevin had a hard time. That was a hard matchup for him, but now he's back to All-Star K-Love.

(Honestly, they were a tough matchup for us, overall. But I think that made us better.)

Everyone’s asking if my dad has any advice for me. But it’s pretty consistent with everyone else’s message: Stay ready.

And with this being my first time, I'm still trying to figure my way through everything. And so, whenever we're going through plays, he's telling me: ‘You really need to be locked in because the plays we're going over, you're going to see them 50 times in the next week-and-a-half. So, really be paying attention and really know your game plan.’

So now we just need to get to Saturday night and see where the series goes from here.

The Celtics definitely came out and punched us. And they play great at home, they're 9-0 this postseason at home. So that's just what they do. And we've just got to be prepared to win back our home court.

So if and when we do that, it's going to be a whole new series.

They did what they were supposed to do. Now it's time for us to answer.

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Larry Nance Jr.'s Postseason Blog

clejgabriele

Wine &amp; Gold's High-Energy Big Man Dishes on His First Round Experience

by Larry Nance Jr. (@Larrydn22)
4/21/18 | Cavs.com

It’s been a wild second half of the season for Larry Nance Jr. and that journey has just gotten more intense as the third-year pro from Wyoming enters the Playoffs for the first time in his career.

In his third year out of Wyoming, Nance averaged career-bests in scoring (8.7ppg), field goal percentage (.581) and rebounding (6.8 rpg). In 24 regular games (including nine starts) with the Wine &amp; Gold, the 6-9 forward/center notched double-figure scoring in 11 contests, doubling-up in five of those.

Through the first three contests of the First Round, Nance has been solid on both ends. Offensively, he’s shooting 75 percent – hitting nine of his 12 shot attempts – averaging five boards per to go with three steals and a pair of blocks on the defensive end.

As the high-flying scion of the Cavaliers legend prepares for Game 4 on Sunday night, he sat down with Cavs.com after Saturday’s practice to share his thoughts on the Wine &amp; Gold’s journey to the promised land …

Despite being down in the series, the postseason has been fun so far – a lot of energy and intensity in the building. So I'm certainly enjoying it.

I haven’t been surprised by anything so far. I knew it was going to be a bunch of guys flying around, playing hard – and it’s been exactly that. It's just, a couple of shots here and a couple there fall differently and it's a completely different series. But that's Playoff basketball.

Personally, I’ve been pretty happy with what I’ve done so far.

I mean, I know my role, and my role is the same as it's always been -- play good defense, switch on these guards, contain them and just kind of clean up our defensive end. So I'm pretty pleased overall with myself on that – and hopefully now I can start expanding and doing some more.

The Pacers have been impressive, but we knew they were going to be tough. What’s most impressive about them, I think, is their energy.

They just have so many guys flying around at you. They come at you in waves.

Larry Nance Jr. squares off against Myles Turner during Game 2 at The Q.
Photo by Jason Miller/NBAE via Getty Images

It starts with Vic and then you've got Lance, then Bogdanovich and then Turner. They just have a bunch of different guys they can throw at you and they're so young and energetic.

I know there was a lot of talk about us coming into the arena in matching suits on Friday night. And I also know that I took some grief on Twitter from former teammates about ditching my sweats for that nice three-piece.

But literally my favorite part -- or one of my favorite parts – of my job is being able to wear sweat suits and get away with it at all times. So it was definitely a step outside my comfort zone, for sure.

But, you know, it was fun. I actually kind of look forward to doing some more.

"The formula is simple: energy, aggression – hit them from the start."

Nance Jr. On the Mindset Heading into Game 4

What really matters now, though, is getting this series back in our favor – and I think we’re capable of getting it done.

The formula is simple: energy, aggression – hit them from the start.

If we do that, we’ll bring this thing back to Cleveland tied at 2-2.

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Wine &amp; Gold's High-Flying Big Man Dishes on His First Foray into the Playoffs

by Larry Nance Jr. (@Larrydn22)
4/14/18 | Cavs.com

The second half of the season has been a wild ride for Larry Nance Jr. – who began the month of February as a member of the Lakers, was dealt back to his hometown team, competed in the Slam Dunk Contest back in the city where he used to play, spent some time on the shelf with a hamstring injury and finished the regular season headed towards his first career trip to the NBA Playoffs.

In his third year out of Wyoming, Nance Jr. averaged career-bests in scoring (8.7 ppg), field goal percentage (.581) and rebounding (6.8 rpg). In 24 regular games (including nine starts) with the team he grew up rooting for, the 6-9 forward/center notched double-figure scoring in 11 contests, doubling-up in five of those.

As the high-flying scion of the Cavaliers legend prepares for his first foray into the Association’s “second season,” he sat down with Cavs.com to share a Playoff Blog on the Wine &amp; Gold’s journey to the promised land …

Heading into my first NBA postseason, I’m  both nervous and excited.

Obviously, as a basketball player, this is all you dream about as a kid -- playing in the NBA Playoffs. I'm thrilled to be in it and I'm excited to be in it, but at the same time, there's nerves with me because it is such a big stage and something I've never done before.

I try to pride myself on, even during the regular season, playing every possession like it counts. So, I think the transition will be just fine because of the hard-nosed, hard-playing guy that I am.

I also think my game will transition well because, from what all these guys are saying, the refs let you beat on guys a lot more. So that'll benefit me. You know I love to hack. (Obviously joking there.)

It’s taken some getting used to, switching Conferences midstream. But I’ve adjusted.

One of the biggest changes to me, oddly enough, were the flight times.

Larry Nance Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat on March 27, 2018 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida.
Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

In the West, even in our Division, you still had to get on the plane for at least an hour-and-a-half or two hours to almost anywhere. Now, it's like we can zip up to Detroit in, like, 15 minutes. Chicago, Milwaukee -- they're all short flights. Even a trip to New York is nothing. Last week, we took a train from Philly to New York.

The travel is much easier in the East, and it actually does save a lot of wear and tear on your body.

Overall, it’s been great being back in Northeast Ohio.

I'm definitely learning how to deal with the distractions that being home comes with. But it's been good. And like I've said before, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

And with my younger brother, Pete, playing up in Northwestern, that'll be good as well. Hopefully, with him being fairly close, I'll be able to catch quite a few games.

I know a lot of guys – specifically LeBron – are going to go “Zero Dark Thirty” for the postseason, and I’m going to follow that lead.

I mean, if there's a guy that you want to take and learn something from, I feel like LeBron’s that guy. I think if he's kind of shutting things down for a while during the Playoffs, I think it would be beneficial for me to follow that lead.

So I'll definitely be stepping back a little bit.

"I want to be the guy, when Coach puts me on the floor, everybody is very comfortable with -- like: ‘OK, we're good.’"

In terms of my role in this upcoming series against Indy, I’m going in open to anything.

To be honest, I'm not concerned about an entire end of the floor. Offensively, I'm just not worried about it. My job in this series is to help contain Victor Oladipo and the rest of those guys. So, when they get in the paint, it's my job to enforce that.

I’m not going into the series with any kind of expectations. I mean, everybody who's in it wants to win it. So, obviously that's where I'm at, too.

But to be honest, I just want to be the best teammate possible, and that's just doing my job to the fullest -- whether it's rebounding or playing defense. I just want to beat that guy. I want to be that dependable you-know-what-you're-going-to-get-every-night guy.

I want to be the guy, when Coach puts me on the floor, everybody is very comfortable with -- like: ‘OK, we're good.’

So it’s not like Coach has told me anything about my role and I’m not worried about it. Whenever I'm in there, I'm going 100 percent.

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