Bucks’ Doc Rivers shares Bill Belichick story to describe Pete Nance’s impact

Although things are not going well overall in the 2025-26 NBA season for the Milwaukee Bucks, there are still some positives for the team.

Among the bright spots is none other than Pete Nance, who has been making his presence felt on the floor of late.

On Tuesday, Nance got his flowers from Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers following the team’s 131-115 win at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee over the visiting Chicago Bulls.

Bucks’ Nance gets some praise from Doc Rivers

In explaining Nance’s impact and attributes, Rivers shared a story about a moment he had with six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick.

Via Bucks Lead:

“Just a high IQ player. He’s like a utility knife for us. He’s everywhere. Offensively we put him at the 3, put him at the 4. We’re playing through him a lot. We love him flashing to the ball making plays. He’s just a smart, aware player.”

“It’s funny. I remember years ago with [Bill] Belichick. We’re looking at football players and he was showing me how one guy on the clock was quick but this guy was faster because he thought faster. So he got there quicker. And that’s what Pete does. For what he doesn’t have in speed, he always beats people to the spot because he sees it first. And that’s what Pete does. It’s really nice.”

The former North Carolina Tar Heels forward Nance came off the bench against the Bulls and provided a big spark for the Bucks, scoring 16 points on 6/9 shooting from the field, while hitting four 3-pointers and adding three rebounds and three assists. 

There should be more opportunities for him to shine with Milwaukee, which is currently dealing with some injuries.