Lo and behold, the enduring Blue and Gold. After a decisive trouncing of the Charlotte Hornets last night, the Indiana Pacers remain in the hunt for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference to extend their season. With only the Washington Wizards remaining on their plate, their recent victory has to make them feel good heading into the do-or-die matchup as they have all the momentum they need to secure a dub.
Despite their inspiring play as of late, a key, defining question still casts a big shadow on the team: the future of coach Nate Bjorkgren. While the team has largely struggled because of recurring injuries to key players this season, it’s no secret in the NBA community that his Indiana Pacers stint may be a quick one-and-done.
There would be an abundance of interest around the league to fill the head coaching vacancy on the team if Kevin Pritchard and co. decide to cut ties with the rookie coach. As I have pointed out before, several coaches of varying pedigrees figure to elevate the squad manning the Blue and Gold, but at this juncture, we set our sights on three coaching candidates whom the Indiana Pacers would be wise to avoid in a possible league-wide coaching search.
Coach to avoid for the Indiana Pacers if Nate Bjorkgren is fired: Brett Brown
Former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown deserves a lot of credit for supervising the infamous “The Process” era, but he absolutely failed to connect the dots between his star players and formulate a winning formula that maximizes their strengths to inch towards a title, which led to his ouster.
His coaching tenure with the Sixers is hoarded with puzzling team inconsistencies. When Philly carved itself into contention starting in 2017-18, the team lacked a real identity. Some of his lowlights include: his inability to get Ben Simmons comfortable in the half-court, his blunder with incorporating Jimmy Butler, his penchant for utilizing Joel Embiid as a floor-spacer and the team’s lack of acuity with winning on the road.
His Sixers teams were above-average on defense, but aside from the point-preventing end, there’s no evidence or precedent that the Indiana Pacers can improve with him on the sidelines. While his development program and connection with young players is worth a second look, his on-court struggles similarly demand the same.
Sure, Brett Brown may be to Philadelphia what Mark Jackson was for Golden State, but if so, then the Pacers brass will be wise to seek for greener pastures. There’s a reason why the latter is still not a coaching a team in the NBA. In all likelihood, we can also say the same for the Brown.
Coach to avoid for the Indiana Pacers if Nate Bjorkgren is fired: Alvin Gentry
Without question, Alvin Gentry would’ve been the perfect coach for a team that is inept on offense, but the Indiana Pacers aren’t that team. The Blue and Gold’s overlooked improvement in this turbulent season is on offense, with Nate Bjorkgren installing a scoring scheme that ranks 14th in offensive rating and generates the second-most assists.
If anything, what the Pacers need is a defensive mastermind and Gentry is antonymous to that. The brilliant offensive coordinator engineered effective and high-octane offenses in Phoenix, LA, Golden State and to an extent, New Orleans, but his acumen is too funneled towards a single end of the spectrum that his miscues on defense simply overshadow his prowess.
Offense is not the reason why Bjorkgren is on the hot seat, thus, hiring Gentry would likely result in a replay of this season. Indiana has bigger fish to fry, especially on defense and on the locker room, and those tenets aren’t exactly his calling cards.
No disrespect to the widely-acclaimed offensive genius, but with his proclivity for offense to generate competitive,winning basketball, he may be better off as a lead assistant, or as a head coach for teams lacking luster on offense but are already solid defensively.
Coach to avoid for the Indiana Pacers if Nate Bjorkgren is fired: Terry Stotts
Speaking of coaches on the hot seat, current Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts is on the verge of being forced out of town if Rip City once again finds itself dwelling after the first round.
While Stotts has led the Blazers to eight straight playoff appearances starting in 2013, the franchise has never truly flirted with a title despite having an MVP candidate in Damian Lillard. But more than his inability to guide Portland over the hump, it is his questionable principles that continue to force him on a tight rope.
If Gregg Popovich is basketball’s preacher of ball movement, then Terry Stotts is his complete antithesis. While Portland has routinely deployed high-octane offenses, no opposing team will be caught off guard by the way they do things. The Trail Blazers reek of isolation plays, for better or for worse, and are completely allergic to assists, ranking dead last in dimes in three of the last four seasons, including this year.
The thought of him manning the Indiana Pacers is counterintuitive, especially with the Blue and Gold’s newfound identity as a team predicated on ball movement, finishing 2nd in assists this year. He’s also not the best defensive coach, with Portland ranking 27th and 29th in defensive rating for the past two campaigns.
Despite being known as a player coach, his shortcomings and unwillingness to adjust ultimately prevents him from being an ideal fit with the Blue and Gold, notwithstanding his relatively fruitful tenure in Rip City.