The recent news of Nate Bjorkgren’s uncertain future with the Indiana Pacers was definitely a bit of a surprise given the timing. However, the idea of his time in Indiana soon coming to a close should not be a complete shock given his lack of success with the current roster.
Amid a year of difficulties with players and staff, Indiana Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren’s future with the franchise is uncertain as the regular season nears an end, sources tell ESPN. The Pacers are 30-34 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 5, 2021
This is a very interesting situation given the state of the roster and the apparent issues in the locker room that we’ve seen from several players in recent years. Victor Oladipo and Paul George both expressed displeasure with things within the organization and were traded soon after going public with comments.
Should the Indiana Pacers fire Nate Bjorkgren?
Bjorkgren’s tenure with Indiana has not been perfect but it has also not been completely his fault. From the moment he took over, Bjorkgren had to deal with questions regarding Victor Oladipo, injuries, and a top-heavy Eastern Conference. That, however, is a viewpoint to dive into another time.
Woj dropped a bomb with the news of Bjorkgren on the hot seat and that should lend a hand in his departure this offseason. Teams would not let the news out that they are dissatisfied with their head coach at this point in the season if they were not intent on parting ways in the near future barring a drastic turnaround – a turnaround that I simply cannot see happening.
What are some of the reasons the Pacers should go ahead and fire the underwhelming Nate Bjorkgren after just one season?
The Indiana Pacers fell off defensively
One thing that was always true under Nate McMillan was that the Pacers were tough on the defensive end. In 2019-20, Indiana was third in the NBA in points allowed per game at just 107.5. That was nearly two points less than what Indiana was scoring, having posted 109.4 points per game of their own on the season.
This season, Indiana’s offense spiked to 115.0 points per game, good for eighth in the NBA. Unfortunately, the defense also saw a massive leap in points allowed per game, up to 115.1 points. With Myles Turner dealing with injuries as the team’s only reliable defender, this season has been a disaster on the defensive end.
Now, there are a number of factors playing into this decline but the head coach may not be the main factor. The loss of Dan Burke, one of Indiana’s top assistants, dealt a massive blow to this roster as he took an assistant role with the 76ers. Still, Bjorkgren’s lack of defensive identity and success has been a crusher for Indiana this season.
The 115.1 points per game allowed in 2020-21 ranks 25th in the league which is just a wild change from recent years. The offense has some playmakers but not the superstars that are required to make up for giving up that many points on a nightly basis.
Indiana went from a bad offense with a good defense to a high-paced offense with arguably no defense to be found. Defense reigns supreme in the NBA and the teams currently below Indiana in points allowed should worry fans. Only the Kings, Wizards, Timberwolves, Rockets, and Thunder allow more points than the Pacers.
The Pacers defense is allowing a tank-level amount of points but the front office is not ready to fully commit to the tank.
Do the Indiana Pacers have problems in the locker room?
If the reports are true that the Pacers have issues in the locker room between Nate Bjorkgren and the players, things have to change. Simply put, you cannot let information leak that the players or front office have a poor relationship with the head coach and then let that same coach back in the building next season.
Things are trending towards a wild summer for Indiana with a lot of roster moves on the table, including some major trade speculation once again. With everything seemingly up for grabs and a new-look team taking the floor next season, it makes sense to go ahead and start fresh at the top.
It is not clear which players are unhappy with Bjorkgren, but “key players” leads me to believe Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis are in the mix. If your top players are unhappy and you expect to keep them in the plans for the future, you have to do all you can to keep fix that relationship between them and the organization.
Again, this makes for an interesting case because I’m not sure I would throw all my eggs into the Sabonis-Brogdon basket and let them dictate the direction of the franchise because I do not see them as superstar-level players that can turn things around by themselves.
This situation is worth monitoring, especially if those two are the most vocal about Bjorkgren’s struggles this season. Could things turn even uglier in Indiana?
The Indiana Pacers are bad
The clear factor in firing Nate Bjorkgren comes down to the Pacers being bad this season. As easy and cliche as it is to place that label, this team has underperformed on a severe level in 2020-21, regardless of injuries holding players out.
At 30-34 on the season, the Pacers fighting just for a chance to play in the play-in tournament, which will only net them a low seed in the playoffs if they advance. With Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, and Caris LeVert in the starting lineup, this team should be much more successful in the win column.
Nate McMillan was fired for failing to advance in the playoffs, which was a fair decision after years of middling, but now Bjorkgren has taken this team the wrong way. With pretty much the same roster in place from last season, Indiana went from contender to lottery team in just a few months.
Preseason expectations for this team were high thanks to the promise of Bjorkgren and what he brought to the offense. With that clearly not being enough to take the next step, the Pacers have looked miserable throughout the season. With just a few games left, it may be too late to turn things around, which is probably in the best interest of all parties.