G League Notes: Pete Nance Set to Begin Career With Charge

It’s almost time. That’s right, the Cleveland Charge and G League are set to tip off the season on Friday.

Again, the Charge will play home games at Cleveland State’s Wolstein Center, with the season-opener set to take place Friday at home vs. the Wisconsin Herd.

This year’s roster features the likes of Cavs two-way players Emoni Bates, Craig Porter Jr., Isaiah Mobley and yes, Akron’s own Pete Nance.

Bates was the Cavs lone draft pick in 2023 (No. 49 overall) and the biggest name. And Porter has looked good in his limited time with the parent club.

But it’s Nance whose name is most familiar to Northeast Ohio basketball fans. He’s the son of Larry Nance, a Cavs legend, and the younger brother of Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr.

Like Larry Jr., Pete attended Revere High School. Now, he’s looking to carve out his own name in the pro ranks.

“With Pete, you see a lot of versatility,” Charge coach Mike Gerrity said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “He can step out and he can shoot the 3-point shot. He’s tall enough and athletic enough to where he can mix in his rolls and his pops.”

Gerrity also likes what he sees on defense from Nance, who stands 6-foot-10.

“On the defensive end, I think the evolution of him is that he becomes a guy that can switch onto multiple positions and guard, and I think we saw that in Summer League with him,” Gerrity said. “That will be something we see more of this year, but also with his athleticism, he protects the paint really well.

“He has the right approach and the mentality of wanting to just keep getting better and growing, and he understands that this isn’t just something that’s just going to happen right away. He knows that this is a process, and I think if he keeps approaching it the way he does, he’ll ultimately get where he needs to go.”

Much like the rest of his family, Nance is all class. He takes a humble approach to his career, fitting in well with the strong culture built by Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman.

And yes, Nance indicated he’s thrilled to be playing close to home.

“Having the extreme comfort of family and friends right where I grew up, being able to do that here, I got super lucky,” Nance said, via Ulrich. “So I just feel really grateful for that and just really happy to be back home.”

Charge Roster

Along with Nance and the two-way players, the Charge roster has some faces that Cleveland basketball fans likely know.

Guard Zhaire Smith is a former first-round pick and attended training camp with the Cavs. The same is true of wing Justin Powell. And guard Rob Edwards began his career at Cleveland State (before transferring to Arizona State). Edwards is a G League veteran and was acquired by the Charge in an offseason trade.

Also, former Cavs guard Daniel Gibson will be among Gerrity’s staff of assistants. 

Along with that, former USC star Sam Clancy Jr. is an assistant coach/program apprentice. Clancy is the son of former Cleveland Browns defensive end Sam Clancy.

You can check out the full roster at the bottom of this post.

Tipoff Time

The Charge-Herd game Friday is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. EST. Cleveland will be celebrating its Summer League championship, with the first 2,000 fans receiving a free t-shirt.

The Charge and Herd meet again Sunday in Cleveland at 6 p.m.

The Cleveland Charge 2023-24 season is locked in 🔒💥#ChargeUp pic.twitter.com/rZRVe0t9RS

— Cleveland Charge (@ChargeCLE) November 9, 2023