Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19

3. Larry Nance Jr.

After Larry Nance Jr. was traded from the Lakers to the Cavs in February, not much changed in terms of his stats or playing time. The biggest difference for the 6’9″ power forward was going from a lottery team to a squad with title aspirations.

That meant suddenly facing higher expectations with a smaller margin for error. Having had some exposure to that big stage, Nance returns to a lower-pressure environment in which he’ll have more leeway to apply what he learned in his playoff debut.

Nance averaged 8.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 20 minutes per game over his 24 regular season appearances with Cleveland. His usage dipped in the playoffs as head coach Tyronn Lue‘s rotation tightened and Nance wasn’t a good fit for some matchups, but he did have a few moments — like his nine-point, 11-rebound effort in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Going into his first full season in Cleveland, Nance is a candidate for a lucrative contract extension, which could be a bargain given his upside.

An extension would show that the franchise believes in the 25-year-old. The fans are already behind him; not just because Larry is the son of former Cavaliers star Larry Nance, but also because his above-the-rim attacking style is fun to watch.

That athleticism is the most attractive element that the younger Nance brings to the table, along with length and energy in the paint. The Cavs desperately lacked in those areas before acquiring Nance. With Kevin Love spending more time on the perimeter, there were too many instances where center Tristan Thompson was battling for rebounds by himself against multiple opponents and protecting the rim with no other defenders nearby. Nance gives Cleveland another active body to play close to the basket.

Nance currently projects as Love’s backup at power forward, and he can play center depending on the matchups. If he is given 25-30 minutes per game this season, he could make a big improvement.