Pete Nance shined in his first meaningful minutes of the season in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 112-110 win in Atlanta on Martin Luther King Day. In 15 minutes off the bench Nance went for five points, four rebounds, a pair of assists and steals apiece. He finished second in plus-minus, at +13, behind only AJ Green. His impact and energy were palpable. Not bad for a two-way player who’d seen nothing but garbage time reps thus far this season. Color Giannis Antetokounmpo impressed.
Nance made an immediate impact on bench unit, and Giannis took notice
“We’re going to find it. I think we found something tonight. I like Pete off the bench,” Giannis said of the Bucks’ rotation shakeup, which also involved bringing Kevin Porter Jr. off the bench for the first time this year. “You know, he’s on a two-way contract, but he’s a guy that plays hard. He’s extremely smart. He knows how to move the ball.”
Going with Nance over Jericho Sims had an obvious effect on the flow of the offense. With his shooting range, Nance can space the floor in a way Sims cannot. He does a bit of everything: rebounding, passing, putting in defensive effort.
“He’s played only 32 or 33 games in the NBA and then he has a maturity about him like he’s been around for years,” Giannis marveled. “I like that.”
Oct 9, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Pete Nance (35) is guarded by Detroit Pistons guard Chaz Lanier (20) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Nance entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Cavaliers in 2023-24, then arrived in Milwaukee last season and appeared in six games. Since then he has bounced between the Bucks roster and the G league, where he has dominated as a scorer and on the glass.
Nance hasn’t yet had much of a chance in the NBA. In 33 games, he’s averaged 2.2 points in 6.9 minutes per contest, while shooting 43.2% from three. What he does have is immense promise as a floor-spacing big and energy sparkplug on both ends of the floor. That much was apparent with Nance on the court in Atlanta.
“I feel like our second unit was way more steady, way more aggressive. The ball was hopping. So I think we did find something tonight. … I think today was definitely something we should keep and see if it works.”
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