Reason #2 – He has excellent offense
Nance is a combo big with his ability to play the four and the five, and even a little bit of small forward. As a big, he can initiate from the elbow, the high post, or the perimeter.
Nance is an excellent passer who can do things in different situations. If he played next to Covington in a small ball unit, he could be the five-man who would initiate in either transition or half-court situations. With Covington’s floor spacing, this is a lineup we could see in either the playoffs or the regular season.
Normally, I think the Blazers will have Nance off the bench next to Zeller, where he can stretch the floor. As a shooter, Nance has improved significantly over the last three years of his career. Averaging a strong 36 percent from distance, he is a strong enough floor spacer that he can provide a legitimate pick and pop threat. The Blazers haven’t had a guy who could do both of those wings for a while. Meyers Leonard was one, but he never played enough as he wasn’t able to defend or pass at high enough levels.
As a finisher, Nance thrives in transition, and alongside Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, and maybe even Greg Brown, he can provide a presence for a backup unit that would change the way the Blazers bench operates.
Nance is a strong offensive player for this Blazers team.