With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined, this stretch of the season was always going to be about more than just wins and losses for the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s a chance-a rare one-for the coaching staff to evaluate who might be part of this team’s future core.
And when it comes to young players showing flashes of something real, Pete Nance has done more than enough to earn a longer look. But in Tuesday’s matchup in Philadelphia, Doc Rivers turned back to Jericho Sims instead.
And the results? Let’s just say the decision didn’t exactly pay off.
Now, Rivers explained the move by saying the Bucks “needed size.” But that reasoning doesn’t hold much water when you look at the Sixers’ roster.
Outside of Joel Embiid, Philadelphia’s tallest rotation player that night was 6-foot-10 backup big Adem Bona. That’s not exactly a frontcourt that demands a dramatic shift in size-based matchups.
So, why Sims?
Sims is listed at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds. Nance?
Just an inch shorter and 25 pounds lighter. The difference in size is marginal, and it certainly doesn’t outweigh the disparity in impact.
Sims has struggled to make his presence felt offensively, and that didn’t change against the Sixers. His most noticeable plays were a pair of errant passes that sailed out of bounds.
His final stat line: 11 minutes, one rebound, two turnovers, two fouls-no points.
And that’s where the logic really starts to fall apart. Milwaukee’s starting five already had Myles Turner to match up with Embiid.
Paul George slotted in at the four, but he’s more of a wing than a traditional power forward. The Sixers’ bench bigs-Bona and Dominick Barlow-are both under 6-foot-10 and not exactly overpowering presences.
The Bucks had more than enough versatility with Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, and Nance to handle that rotation. The idea that Sims was needed for his size just doesn’t track.
Meanwhile, Nance has shown he fits within the Bucks’ system on both ends of the floor. He sets clean, effective screens-something Sims has struggled with-and he brings legitimate floor-spacing ability.
He’s not perfect, but he plays with awareness, makes smart cuts, and keeps the ball moving. On defense, he’s scrappy and positionally sound, especially when he’s not being asked to bang with seven-footers.
And when you actually give him minutes? The results speak for themselves.
In his first real rotation opportunity of the season-a tight win over Atlanta-Nance finished with a team-best plus-13. He didn’t stuff the stat sheet, but he made winning plays, stayed within himself, and helped the Bucks close out a close one.
That performance felt like a turning point, the kind of game that earns a player more trust. But then came the pivot back to Sims.
Even in Milwaukee’s blowout loss to the Thunder, Nance found a way to stand out. He dropped 11 points, grabbed four boards, and hit three of his five shots from beyond the arc.
He was the only Buck with a positive plus-minus. That’s not a fluke.
That’s a guy making the most of his minutes.
Against Denver, he didn’t score in 12 minutes, but still managed a block, a steal, and another positive box score differential. These aren’t empty numbers. They’re signs of a player who knows how to contribute even when the ball isn’t going through the hoop.
And if you want a glimpse of his upside, just look at his G League numbers: over 20.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, shooting a blistering 57% from the field, 43% from deep, and 82% from the line. That’s not just solid-that’s production that demands attention.
The Bucks don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. They’ve seen this story before-players like Ryan Rollins who start on two-way deals and grow into legitimate rotation pieces.
Nance has that kind of potential. He plays with energy, he plays with purpose, and he’s earned the right to show what he can do with consistent NBA minutes.
With Giannis out, this is the time to experiment. To build.
To see what’s really there. The Bucks already know what Sims brings to the table.
It’s time to find out how far Pete Nance can go.