With the 27th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, the Lakers added some defense in Wyoming’s Larry Nance, Jr. The 6-foot-9, 227-pound power forward was selected as the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after ranking eighth in the conference in blocks (1.2), fifth in defensive rating (90.6) and second in defensive win shares (2.6).
Also a two-time member of the all-conference First Team, Nance placed fourth in scoring (16.1) and fifth in rebounds (7.2) last season. He also led the Cowboys to their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 13 years.
Picked by the Harlem Globetrotters in their annual draft last month, Nance also comes from a high-flying background, as his father, Larry Sr., won the inaugural NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1984.
However, the younger Nance prefers to be known for his will than his hops.
“If there’s a ball on the court in the first quarter (through) fourth quarter, I’m on it,” Nance said at his Lakers workout on June 19. “Whether I get it or not, I’m gonna be on the floor working for it. The second a shot goes up — if you’re looking underneath the rim, you’ll see my try to get in a box-out position. It’s effort plays that you can count on from me.”