Much of the attention on the Los Angeles Lakers in the early going has been focused on the debut of Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma, as well as the ongoing development of former No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram.
No team, however, can be built without the existence of quality role players, and former Wyoming big man Larry Nance Jr. has quickly become a favorite for the massive Lakers fan base.
Unfortunately, it appears as if Los Angeles will be without the 24-year-old for a while, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN brings word that he has suffered a fractured hand.
Sources: Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. undergoing surgery on fractured left hand today, with early expectation he'll miss 4-to-6 weeks.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 3, 2017
The 4-to-6 week timetable is not necessarily a doomsday scenario for Los Angeles but, in the same breath, it is long enough to bring legitimate concern. Nance Jr. exited Thursday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers after 19 minutes of play because of the injury and, while it did not look ideal, this reported diagnosis sheds light on the severity.
In his absence, the Lakers could turn to an uptick in minutes for veterans like Luol Deng and/or Andrew Bogut, or an additional infusion from Kuzma, Julius Randle and Brook Lopez. Still, none can necessarily replicate the exact, under-the-radar contributions that Nance Jr. brings to the table and that has to be noted.
