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NBA executives think the Indiana Pacers are in great hands.

By Justin Byers

INDIANAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 24: Victor Oladipo #4, Nate McMillan, and Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers pose for a head shot during the Pacers Media Day on September 24, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 24: Victor Oladipo #4, Nate McMillan, and Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers pose for a head shot during the Pacers Media Day on September 24, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NBA.com released its annual GM survey and the Indiana Pacers had several names recognized. The recognition serves as evidence of the team’s recent success and the potential the organization has in the future.

Yesterday, NBA.com released its 18th annual General Manager Survey and the Indiana Pacers had some familiar names mentioned throughout.

For the survey, all 30 GMs within the association responded to 50 different questions regarding offseason transactions, players, fans, teams, and coaches. No general manager could vote for their team or personnel thus removing any potential bias from the survey.

For the Indiana Pacers, the survey solidified that it’s an organization that is structured for success now and in the future.

Long-time Pacers assistant and defensive savant Dan Burke was honored with the recognition of being regarded as a top assistant coach in the NBA.

In the survey, GMs placed Coach Burke at the top of the list of assistants in the NBA alongside Chris Finch of the New Orleans Pelicans and David Vanterpool of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Each of the three assistants compiled the same percentage of votes for the honor, however, Pacers fans may have their own opinion on who is more valuable to their ball club.

For the last 22 seasons, Coach Burke has been an integral part of the Pacers organization and will continue to be a reason why the team has been successful throughout the tumultuous nature of the NBA.

There are several reasons why Coach Burke was recognized with this honor, one being his professionalism, mentorship, and dedication to his craft. However, the positions he puts his players in defensively have translated to consistent and dominate play.

As the Pacers’ top assistant, Burke has compiled defenses that have been ranked near the top of the league for the past five seasons. That consistency is nothing new as Burke has placed the Pacers in the top 10 for defensive field goal percentage 13 times in the last 17 seasons, a feat that is not obtainable without a coach who is both knowledgeable and can relate to his players.

Head coach Nate McMillan was also mentioned in the GM survey as one of the head coaches to have the best defensive schemes.

Even since his playing days as a point guard for the Seattle SuperSonics, McMillan has always held defense to a high standard and that has trickled down to his time here in Indiana as head honcho.

The pairing of Burke and McMillan is one that makes each of them better as coaches and NBA executives across the league have taken notice of the progression.

Next. Which acquisition will provide the most impact for the Indiana Pacers?. dark

With the expertise of Burke and McMillan, coupled with the new faces on the team, expect the team to exceed expectations on both sides of the floor as the coaches will look to exhaust the talent on the roster. At least for the Pacers organization, they have no shortage of fantastic leadership.

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