Larry Nance's hand fracture is bound to create a setback for Luke Walton's new-look Los Angeles Lakers moving forward. A decision for his replacement has to be made quickly, as the Lakers take on the Brooklyn Nets tonight at the latter end of a back-to-back.
Walton will likely decide between motivated fourth-year forward Julius Randle and rookie Kyle Kuzma, who has shown a natural ability to fit into that role coming out of training camp.
Nance headed to the locker room only minutes after his injury took place, and after a quick examination, the doctors saw the fracture, forcing the second-year head coach to make an audible in this lineup with less than 24 hours to do so.
“Obviously he fractured his hand. I have no idea how long that takes,” Walton said, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. “When we get all that information, we will sit down… I have always been a believer that it's not just the next best player. How does it affect second units? How does that affect the starting unit, and what we are trying to do? There are a lot of variables to decide between, so we will figure that out in the next day.”
Walton noted Nance was the best fit for this starting unit and now he'll be forced to revisit what's been perhaps the toughest training camp battle through his stint with the team.
Kuzma has proved to be the more well-rounded scorer, averaging 15 points per game after a career-high 22 points against the Portland Trail Blazers last night, while Randle has been the better defender, notching a shot blocked per game through limited minutes.
Based on Walton's minute distribution, Kuzma would be a plug-and-play on this equation due to his ability to spot up from three, giving point guard Lonzo Ball another target and perhaps reaping the benefits of the fabled “light-skinned connection” between the two rookies.
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