Promising Buck Pete Nance looked like a lock in the rotation, but now he is fighting for minutes due to Jericho Sims' huge improvement. With Sims playing incredibly well over the last month, Nance's time has been extremely limited, and it could only get worse once Giannis Antetokounmpo returns from his injury.
Jericho Sims has taken over Pete Nance in the rotation
Before the All-Star break, Pete Nance was looking like another Buck that would go on to have his two-way contract converted to a full deal. He gave the team extra athleticism and defensive versatility, added an interior threat, and even made shots from deep. Post All-Star. Sims has now won the battle as the backup big in the rotation, and Nance is now struggling to find his way back into the rotation.
Nance played 21 minutes in the game in New Orleans straight after the break. Since then, he has featured in three of the five games for an average of 4.7 minutes per game. Sims, on the other hand, has averaged 24.7 minutes per game since the All-Star break, which is more than Myles Turner's 22.8 minutes per game. That speaks to how big of a role he's earned.
Nance has still played well and is a more than useful player as the third choice center on the Bucks' depth chart. In games in which he has played 10 or more minutes, he has averaged a solid 9.3 points per game, which is good for a backup center and one on a two-way deal.
It is extremely unfortunate for Nance, as he was clearly playing well. Turner, being the second-highest-paid player on the roster, almost ensures he has to feature heavily. Sims was the big man who was pushed out of the rotation in favor of Nance. Now, the ex-New York Knick is playing some of the best basketball of his career, which has led to Nance playing garbage time minutes.
Doc Rivers deserves credit for the Bucks' recent improvement in performances and results, but they are still outside of the Play-In spots. His decision to omit Nance from the rotation is a tough one, but when you look at the performances and impact of Sims, it is tough to argue with that reasoning.
For Nance, like any two-way player and end-of-the-bench player, it is about making an impact in those garbage time minutes and taking opportunities whenever they appear. He fought his way into the lineup already this season; he is now going to have to do it again should he want to make enough of an impression to earn a full contract at the end of the season.