Los Angeles Lakers: 2 things to watch upon Larry Nance Jr.’s return

The bench becomes a strength once again

The aspect I’m most excited about with Larry Nance Jr.’s return from injury is how strong the Los Angeles Lakers bench becomes with Kyle Kuzma returning to the second unit. Before the injury, Kuzma paced a bench that was third in the NBA in scoring with 46.9 points per game, but was 17th in the league with 35.8 points per game in the games Kuzma started.

Prior to the season, the bench frontcourt of Kuzma and Julius Randle gave the Lakers a strong duo off the bench that fits the modern game. This partnership has played well throughout the season with Kuzma stretching the floor and Randle being used as a screen-setting big man who is effective as a rim roller.

They also offer defensive flexibility on the defensive end with both players capable of switching onto smaller players and holding their own. While Randle may not be the strongest of rim protectors, keeping opponents away from the rim by having as many defenders with lateral quickness on the floor is a strong alternative.

And it’s not like bringing Kuzma off the bench will limit his chances to play crunch-time minutes if he continues his promising play. There’s also the possibility of pairing Nance with Kuzma. Nance’s offensive game isn’t as strong as Randle’s, but he can do the same amount of dirty work, set screens and won’t take away touches from Kuzma.

Kuzma moving to the bench will take some of the scoring load off of Jordan Clarkson, who is currently operating at a team-leading usage percentage. This move creates space for the bench as a whole, and will give the Lakers two credible lineup platoons to throw at opponents every game.