2024-25 Atlanta Hawks Roster Preview: Larry Nance Jr

The veteran big man gives Atlanta experience and depth at their center position, but how big of a role will he have in 2024-25?

Apr 27, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans Forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) handles the ball while defended by Oklahoma City Thunder Forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the second quarter of game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Age: 32 (11th season)

Height, Weight: 6'8, 245 lbs

2023-24 Averages: 5.6 points, 5 rebounds, 1.9 assists on 57.3%/41.5%/77% splits (61 games)

Career Averages: 7.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists on 54%/34.2%/69.6% splits (522 games)

Larry Nance is the epitome of a reliable veteran that finds a home on practically every roster he is a part of.

When the Hawks acquired him in the trade that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans, they likely saw Nance as insurance. In the event that they were able to find a trade partner for Clint Capela, Nance would take on a bigger role as the backup to Onyeka Okongwu. However, such a move has not happened yet.

Still, that does not mean that Nance is a waste of a roster spot. He's a player with several helpful skills that affect winning even if they don't always show up on the scoreboard. With the Pelicans, he showed off his ability to move in space on defense. He is not forced to solely survive in drop coverage as a big and can play up at the level of the screen. While he cannot match up with the stronger post players or quickest wings in the NBA, he's a passable defender for most matchups. I envision this as being very helpful for Atlanta as there should be a pretty reasonable floor for the interior defense regardless of who the center is.

On offense, he is a smart passer and good rebounder. Although he is not quite as good as he was for the Cavs, Nance still recorded a total rebounding percentage of 14.1%. That is close to what Draymond Green recorded for the Warriors last season (14.4%). I am not saying that Nance is Green, but he is clearly a solid rebounder who can keep possessions alive on offense and end possessions for a defense. He can also execute simple passes as a connector. It would be difficult to say that he can be a secondary playmaker, but he is capable of making simple reads that keep the offense moving.

From a scoring perspective, Nance had a fairly solid year from a shooting-splits perspective, All of hi 2023-24 splits are above his career percentages. He hit on 41.5% of his shots from deep while having around 1.9 attempts per game. I do not think it would be fair to say he can provide a huge improvement in Atlanta's rotation. He is someone the defense feels comfortable conceding a shot to. However, he has shown some ability to capitalize on those looks recently.

In 2024-25, I think his role will be fairly minimal unless Clint Capela is traded. That being said, he can give the Hawks good minutes when he plays. He also provides insurance for a decline in play from Capela. It is also possible that Atlanta moves him to a team that is desperately in need of center depth.

Best-Case Scenario: Nance Jr maintains his production from deep (over 40% from three-point range) while continuing to be a solid passer, defender and rebounder. He continues to be a useful rotation piece and is able to handle a bigger role when Capela or Okongwu are unable to suit up.

Worst-Case Scenario: Nance Jr's 11 seasons in the NBA start to catch up to him and his secondary skills decline in effectiveness. His three-point shot declines and he is unable to hold up on defense in the way that he once could.