Larry Nance Jr. Says Pacers Are ‘At the Forefront of the New NBA’

Larry Nance Jr. believes the NBA is changing, and one of the biggest reasons he chose the Indiana Pacers is because he believes they're ahead of the curve.

The verteran big man has spent more than a decade in the league and has watched the game continue to get faster. With teams playing a relentless pace, Nance believes depth, conditioning and the willingness to utlize more players throughout th eregular season have become increasingly important.

It's an area where he believes the Pacers have separated themselves.

"You know, the pace being played right now across the league is blistering," Nance said. "You can't do that with nine guys in a regular season. You're not going to make it."

Nance pointed to Indiana and the Oklahoma City Thunder as two examples of teams that embraced that reality.

"You see teams like Oklahoma City and teams like Indiana have been at the top over the past couple years playing, 10, 11, 12 guys in the regular season just because of the pace," Nance said. "You're other there, you give it all you got and come, we got you."

That philosophy appealed to Nance when he was deciding where to continue his NBA career.

"It's a new NBA, and that's one of the major reason I wanted to come to the Pacers," Nance said, "because they're at the forefront of the new NBA."

Indiana's style had caught Nance's attention even before he joined the franchise.

Under head coach Rick Carlisle, the Pacers have built an identity around playing fast and mataining that pace throughout the game. For Nance, who has deal with injuries in recent seasons, joining a team that prioritizes conditioning and playing up and down the floor presented an opportunity to push himself physically.

LNJ — Apr 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) shown on the court before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I think, over the past couple years, the Pacers have, under coach Carlisle, really stood out to me as one of the most conditioned teams in the league and how relentless they were for 48 minutes," Nance said. "And that was something that over the last couple years, I felt that I wanted more of."

Nance wants to get back to playing the energetic style of basketball that has been a staple throughout his career.

"To get in tip-top shape and get back to playing uan p-and-down style of basketball," Nance said. "These guys have accepted me right away, and I'm just excited to learn from the coaching staff."

That desire carries additional meaning after injuries impacted Nance in recent seasons.

LNJ — Sep 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward/center Larry Nance Jr. (22) poses for a photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It's no secret. I've had a few bumps and brusies in my career," Nance told Tony East of Forbes. "Last year was more of a getting healthy type year. I had a pretty brutal one at the end of Atlanta."

Now, Nance says he's feeling healthy and ready to embrace what Indiana will ask of him.

"I'm just excited," Nance said. "Again, I feel great. I feel ready to go and I'm just ready to get in tip-top shape and help be the most conditioned team and let the cards fall where they may."

For Nance, Indiana represented more than another stop in his NBA career. He saw a team whose style matched where he believes the league is going.

After watching the Pacers from afar for the last several seasons, Nance now gets an opportunity to be part of what attracted him to Indiana in the first place.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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