Lakers Fans Hype Kendrick Nunn as 6th Man of the Year After Strong Showing vs. Suns

Playing without Anthony Davis in Wednesday's 119-115 preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers did get a glimpse of what Kendrick Nunn can offer them off the bench when the real games begin.

Nunn played 19 minutes off the bench, dropping 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field (4-of-7 from three) with three rebounds and two assists. LeBron James was the only Lakers player with more points in the game (23 in 17 minutes).

Lakers fans are already to declare Nunn as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate based on his performance:

While some of that reaction is a bit over the top, Nunn did provide several highlight moments throughout the game. He was doing a lot of his damage when the Suns had their starting lineup on the court.

The Lakers gave Nunn a two-year, $10 million contract in free agency in August 2021. He was expected to provide a spark off the bench, but a knee injury that lingered for the entire season kept him out for the entire 2021-22 campaign.

Head coach Darvin Ham used Nunn in the starting lineup for the preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings. The 27-year-old was inconsistent in the game with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, but committing five turnovers with one assist in 20 minutes.

Ham opted to use a three-guard starting lineup on Wednesday, with Austin Reaves, Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley. The Lakers put up 69 points in the first half against Phoenix's defense.

Nunn made himself a valuable rotation piece for the Miami Heat in his first two NBA seasons from 2019-21. He averaged 14.6 points with a 38.1 three-point percentage during the 2020-21 season.

One of the big concerns for the Lakers going into this season is shooting. They ranked 22nd in the NBA with a 34.7 percent success rate from behind the arc in 2021-22. The front office didn't really address that issue in free agency, so the clear hope is Nunn can pick up where he left off two years ago with the Heat.

Based on the early returns from preseason, Nunn at least looks like he will be a big part of the rotation for Ham when the regular season starts on Oct. 18.