The final words in the biography section of Larry Nance Jr.’s Twitter account read “Draft Dreams.”
As of Thursday night, that dream is a reality.
With the 27th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers chose Nance, making him the first UW basketball player to be drafted since Theo Ratliff in 1995.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Nance said. “Almost indescribable.”
For Nance, the road to the draft was not easy. An ACL injury against Air Force during his junior year cost him precious minutes in front of NBA scouts.
By draft night, none of that mattered. All any NBA general manager or scout could talk about was Nance’s outstanding performance at the combine and in workouts.
“The two times we had him in here, he tested as an incredible athlete,” Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers general manager, said in a post-draft press conference. “Just off the charts.”
In a post-draft piece, Sports Illustrated Analyst Chris Mannix wrote, “Nance Jr. was one of the standouts at the pre-draft combine and clearly his workouts went well.”
Despite Nance’s athleticism many NBA analysts said he might require serious growth before he can contribute at the NBA level.
“We think Larry Nance Jr. is what they call a late bloomer,” Kupchak said.
“Nance Jr. isn’t a great shooter and doesn’t have great size for his position,” Mannix wrote in the same piece, “but he’s well-rounded and plays with a lot of energy.”
Nance also seems to know his energy is one of his best attributes.
“I’m an energy guy. I play with an incredibly high motor,” Nance said during a press conference Thursday night. “I never take a play off.”
Nance also said he is excited to contribute to a franchise as storied as the Lakers.
“This means the world to me,” Nance said. “All the hard work that has been put in and the time and the effort. Just to hear my name called was surreal. It hasn’t set in yet. And the Lakers are such a historic franchise. Hopefully I can come in with the other guys that were drafted and continue that culture. I’m excited to see what the next step has in store for me.”
