The Los Angeles Lakers could be back to full strength by next week as it has been reported that Larry Nance Jr. is expected to return to action by then, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
Nance is currently working on his conditioning with the Lakers' G League affiliate, while getting additional workouts to speed up his recovery.
“Larry Nance Jr. (hand) is getting closer to a return. He had a dental procedure that will prevent him from getting work with the G-League team this week but the Lakers were going to wait through a break this Thanksgiving weekend to give Nance Jr. more time. A return is likely for next week.”
The 24-year-old Wyoming product suffered a fractured hand during a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers back in Nov. 2nd, and has since undergone surgery to repair it. If he returns to the court by next week, he will have only missed four weeks of action, which is the minimum on his timetable.
Larry Nance Jr.'s impending return will be a huge boost to the Lakers, who are currently struggling to string some wins together, having lost five of their last seven games.
It will be interesting to see what the rotation of head coach Luke Walton will look like upon Nance's return, as Kyle Kuzma has filled in well during his absence in their starting unit. Julius Randle has also been playing with purpose as of late, and the distribution of minutes at the power forward position could be a cause of concern for the coaching staff.
However, it's still a good problem to have, and it could motivate all three players to give it their best each time they're fielded in.
Follow Us
Subscribe