When the Los Angeles Lakers selected Larry Nance Jr. with the 27th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, it raised some eyebrows. Most mock drafts projected Nance to either go undrafted or squeak in at the very end of the second round, making the decision to give him the guaranteed money that comes with being taken in the first round surprising.
Since then, Nance has proved everyone who doubted him wrong, quickly becoming a fan-favorite thanks to his non-stop effort, defensive ability, and undeniable athleticism.
Lakers director of scouting Jesse Buss explained to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell why the team decided to go against the grain and take Nance earlier than anyone projected:
His body of work overall as a senior was pretty impressive, and when we began watching him more on Synergy, that’s when we turned our focus to him more closely as a potential guy we could draft late in the first round.