After a positive stretch, the Milwaukee Bucks have reverted to their old ways, losing six of their last seven games. Doc Rivers had omitted Pete Nance from the rotation previously, but now, he is giving the big man an opportunity to thrive as the team looks to play big.
Rivers said, “We may have to go bigger, because right now, we’re just giving up too many points too easy. We’ve changed (defensive) schemes five different times, and the change may be going bigger and maybe taking more offense off the floor.”
Pete Nance is getting his shot again
There was a period in January and February when it looked like Nance was heading towards a full contract with the team. Yet, his minutes suddenly dipped. Myles Turner was always going to stay in the rotation, but the improvement in Jericho Sims' performances from the bench saw Nance only receive garbage time minutes.
Rivers has given the two-way player another chance, with him averaging 15.4 minutes over the previous five games, even with the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo. In that time, he has averaged four points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from deep.
It appears the Bucks are heading down the route of utilizing their size, and that plays right into the hands of Nance receiving more minutes.
Tuesday night's defeat to the Phoenix Suns saw Rivers start Giannis, Turner, Kyle Kuzma, and Ousmane Dieng, with Nance playing 12 minutes off the bench. There was no Bobby Portis or Sims available, which will make the rotation even bigger when they return.
Nance has the potential to help Milwaukee
Nance has played well this season and has shown plenty of promise as the third choice center on the depth chart.
Before the Greek Freak's return, Nance averaged 9.3 points in games in which he played 10 or more minutes, which is impressive for a player on a two-way deal. That production has now dropped with Giannis being back, but his ability to stretch the floor makes him a nicer fit alongside the two-time MVP than Sims.
Milwaukee has a lot of flexibility in its frontcourt, with the likes of Dieng and Nance able to play at the four or even the three if asked. Doc Rivers still hasn't settled on his best starting five and rotation, and wins are still hard to come by, so he won't stop experimenting.
For Nance, it is always tough for a two-way player to crack the rotation, but Ryan Rollins and AJ Green have shown it's possible. Taking advantage of this opportunity will help strengthen his case for a full contract in the future.