The Long-Awaited Emergence of Head Coach Nate McMillan
Nate McMillan is halfway through his first season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and he has finally begun to make some bold coaching moves.
Throughout Frank Vogel’s coaching tenure with the Indiana Pacers, the players and fans became accustomed to a boisterous, intense presence on the sidelines. They can no longer expect that with first-year head coach, Nate McMillan.
McMillan brings a style of coaching far different from that of Vogel’s. McMillan paces the sidelines with a stoic demeanor and seldom wears his emotions on his sleeve.
In my own experience, I have observed McMillan at games where he goes long periods of time without saying a single word. He may be entirely different behind closed doors, but his disposition is extremely unfamiliar in Indianapolis. But, that is perfectly OK.
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The 12-year NBA veteran and longtime NBA coach spent the first half of the 2016-2017 season getting his feet wet again. Now, he looks poised to silence his critics, and more importantly, lead this team to the playoffs. The integration process appears all but over for McMillan, and some recent coaching decisions are indicative of that.
It’s no secret that the Indiana Pacers have struggled to meet preseason expectations. The lack of chemistry and consistency among this team has been well-documented, and some of that blame deservedly falls on the shoulders of Coach McMillan.
Hopefully, the Pacers can put those issues in the rear-view mirror in the wake of their recent win against the western conference’s 3rd place Houston Rockets. The Pacers bench efforts and starting lineup’s ability to figure things out were instrumental to the 17-point comeback win. But, so were the brilliant decisions made by Coach McMillan.
McMillan’s Bold Moves
Here are two eye-catching decisions McMillan elected to make:
- McMillan opted to go with a guard-heavy rotation at times, and it was especially effective. This included the trio of Teague, Ellis, and Stuckey, who do not often find themselves on the court at the same time. The speed and play-making of the atypical lineup was dominant, and the Rockets had no answer.
- He also showed no hesitation in pulling the starters as they came out of the gates lifeless and uninspired. The Rockets began the game on a 18-2 run, and the starters were held responsible for that as McMillan sent them to the bench early. This fearless move prompted the bench to step up and bring the Pacers back, and that they did. This subsequently lit a fire under the starters as well, and that was evident in their strong second-half.
These two moves were unlikely to be made by McMillan earlier this season, but it is clear he is capable of making them. He was simply not ready, and seemed to not want step on anyone’s toes. He should not be let off the hook for the dismal beginning of this season, but he should be awarded a chance to fix the mess he had a hand in creating. The Pacers desperately need leadership from their head coach, and after a long-awaited arrival, he is here.
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The question is; is he here to stay? This Pacers season has been filled with lengthy winning and losing streaks, trade deadline drama, and inept coaching displays. However, the ship can be turned around. The Pacers just need a guy at the helm who can weather the storm. Time for Nate McMillan to show Indiana why he is the right guy for the job in the latter half of the season.