It's been a roller coaster ride of a season for Pete Nance. The forward has been pulled into and thrown out of the Milwaukee Bucks rotation countless times, so much so that it's shocking he doesn't have whiplash at this point. While a talented player, it's clear that Doc Rivers might not have room for the forward in his rotations when this team is fully healthy.
Nance has been the ultimate depth piece
To a lesser degree, without question, Nance has been this season's Ryan Rollins. Last season, Rollins was a two-way player without a role who worked his way into the rotation amid a handful of injuries to the rest of the roster before earning himself a standard deal. It seemed inevitable that Nance was on his way to doing the same, playing well in his extended minutes.
The only difference is that once Ryan Rollins was in the rotation, he never had to let go of his role.
Nance's last three games perfectly capture how inconsistent his role is. Against the Orlando Magic, he played 22 minutes, his most this month. In the following game against the Phoenix Suns, Nance saw just 12 minutes. In a crushing defeat to the Miami Heat, the forward didn't see the floor for one single second. He's been all over the place for the past couple of months.
With Milwaukee suddenly fully healthy, it feels like Nance is destined to return to the bench for good, even if he can help this team.
Bucks have a gem in Pete Nance
In February, when Nace saw his most prominent role, the forward flexed plenty of potential, averaging a solid 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 50 percent from deep. He's the type of Swiss Army Knife this team has been craving for quite some time. He scores, shoots, rebounds, and does all of the little things well.
With Milwaukee banged up for most of the season, Nance did all of the right things to earn himself a standard contract. Had Cam Thomas not hit the open market, Nance would have been on a new deal with the Milwaukee Bucks right now, in all likelihood. Instead, he will now remain on his two-way deal for the remainder of the season and hope to earn a promotion this summer.
He's a great depth piece to have, and there's no telling if that's where he'll remain or if Nance will be back in the rotation soon. It's been that type of season for everyone in town.
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