If there's one thing the Milwaukee Bucks should be doing while Giannis Antetokounmpo remains sidelined, it's trying to determine what building blocks they currently have for a future core. That means giving young players a chance to develop. Pete Nance has shown promise when he's played, yet on Tuesday in Philadelphia, Doc Rivers went back to Jericho Sims. That formula hasn't worked for a while, and Sims certainly didn't make his coach look smart for the switch.
If the choice wasn't bad enough already, Rivers' justification doesn't add up. He went with Sims, he said, because the Bucks needed size. Size for what? Apart from center Joel Embiid, the tallest 76ers player on the court was his 6-foot-10 backup, Adem Bona. Please, Doc, make it make sense.Â
Rivers' rationale is inexplicable in every sense
For reference, Sims is listed at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds. Nance is 6-foot-9 and 225. Sims has a clear size advantage, but it isn't drastic (he's no seven-footer) and it hardly makes up for his shortcomings. The Bucks already know he's a blank on offense. Sims' biggest impact plays of the night came on a pair of embarrassingly bad passes that wound up out of bounds.
His box-score contributions in the loss: 11 minutes, one rebound, two turnovers, and two fouls.Â
Defaulting to Sims for size concerns somehow makes even less sense against the 76ers. In the starting lineup, Myles Turner matches up with Embiid at center. Paul George clocked in at the four. In reality, he's closer to a wing than a bruiser. By staggering Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, and Nance, the Bucks could easily counter Philadelphia's bench bigs, Bona and Dominick Barlow (6-foot-9, 215 pounds). The 76ers don't have a big frontcourt; where Rivers got that idea needs to be investigated.
What's more, Nance fits far more smoothly within the Bucks' offensive system. He knows how to properly set screens (without getting whistled, like Sims), and he stretches the floor with his shooting range. Sure, he makes some mistakes here and there, but he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.Â
Nance is also a scrappy and capable defender, particularly when he isn't tasked with guarding seven-footers. With Giannis out indefinitely, the Bucks' best bet is leaning into players with high potential. Figure out what Nance can do on both ends of the floor. They already know the answer with Sims. Given the chance to grow, Nance could become a weapon.Â
He's already flashed tantalizing glimpses. In his first real rotation minutes of the year, Nance delivered a do-it-all performance against Atlanta. In a two-point win, he finished as a plus-13 in the box score. It seemed like Sims' days might be numbered. Leave it to Doc Rivers to undo his own best decisions.
It's more difficult to gauge Milwaukee's blowout loss to the Thunder, but once again, Nance made the most of his opportunity. He finished with 11 points and four rebounds and went 3-of-5 from distance. He was the only Buck with a positive plus-minus. Even against Denver, when Nance went scoreless in 12 minutes, he came up with a block and a steal and, once again, finished as one of five Bucks with a positive box score differential.Â
Pete Nance plays hard. He has potential. He has absolutely crushed in G League play, averaging over 20.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 57/43/82 splits. There's no reason he can't be Milwaukee's next Ryan Rollins, a guy on a two-way contract who quickly blossoms when granted an opportunity.Â
Come on, Doc. Let's be real. There's no reason, no reason at all, to give Sims priority for "size" considerations.Â