5 Most Underrated Los Angeles Lakers Heading Into 2016-17

PF – Larry Nance Jr.

Not much was expected from Larry Nance Jr. when the Lakers spent a late first round pick on him in 2015. However, it didn’t take long for him to prove he inherited some of the skills that made his father a three-time NBA All Star.

During his rookie campaign, Nance averaged 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.9 steals while asserting himself as a thunderous dunker. While he’s still got a lot of growing to do as he heads into Year 2, the ceiling is very high for the high-flying forward.

It also helps that Nance is a better fit for Luke Walton’s up-tempo approach, which should better utilize the athleticism that the Wyoming product brings to the table. He should immediately compete for minutes at both the 3- and 4-spots, and should see more than the 20.1 minutes per game that he averaged last season.

The presence of Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle limit his long-term potential with the Lakers. However, based on what we saw in 2015-16, it’s easy to imagine Nance developing into one of Los Angeles’ top options off the bench.

He’s underrated right now as we head into 2016-17, but he won’t be for long.

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