Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. Claims he is "tired" of the tanking talk. The 24-year-old insists he is a big competitor and doesn't even want to talk about tanking. The Lakers were amidst of the tanking talk last season. The Purple and Gold's 26-56 record was the third worst in the NBA this past campaign. However, the team won five of its last six games to finish the season on a good tale.

Nance Jr. hasn't had the greatest beginning to his NBA journey. The 27th pick of the 2015 NBA draft has experienced losing years so far in L.A. However, the Wyoming product proved to be a valuable bench asset.

The versatile forward averaged 7.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game off the bench last season.

“Hearing all that tanking talk [last year] is like nails on the chalkboard to a competitor. I don’t even want to play if tanking is on the table. … This season is about improvement and wins," Nance Jr told Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, per Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation.

Nance Jr. anxious to get started

Nance Jr. is eager to experience a positive campaign this coming season. The Lakers are set to kick off what they expect to be an exciting year. The team is eager to see what they can get out of their promising young core. Except for Nance Jr., the core also included back-to-back No. 2 drafts picks Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, as well as Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, among the others.

The Purple and Gold also want to see how will the offseason signings Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brook Lopez and Andrew Bogut play in their debut year in Hollywood.

Nance Jr. said the coming campaign is "about improvement and wins."

The Lakers' first real test is scheduled for Oct. 19, when they meet city rivals Los Angeles Clippers in the season opener.

The Lakers would love to beat the Clippers as they haven't had much success against the Clippers in recent years. Caldwell-Pope won't be playing as he has to serve a one-game suspension.

"I wish the first game was tomorrow," a clearly-motivated Nance Jr. added.

Randle gives positive feedback

Lakers forward Randle is happy with the way things are going these days in the team.

The Lakers gave themselves a fresh new start at the beginning of 2017. Back then, team owner Jeanie Buss fired long-time General Manager Mitch Kupchak and President of Basketball Operations. Lakers legend Magic Johnson replaced Kupchak and former agent Rob Pelinka replaced Buss in the front office, respectively. Since then, Johnson and Pelinka have been committed to hard work, while coach Luke Walton was giving his best effort to form a good relationship with each player on the team.

''It seems like everything is going in a good direction, as far as the culture we’re trying to build,” Randle said. “Obviously, everybody loves our coaches. It’s been good and I like where we’re going and it should be a Great Year for us," wrote Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, per Eric Avakian of Lakers Nation.
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