Nate Bjorkgren just wrapped up his first season as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. With his inaugural season ending with a bizarre rumor regarding his coaching style and lack of locker room approval, his future in Indiana is up in the air.
The Pacers refused to commit to Bjorkgren next season but President Kevin Pritchard seemed to show some support for the first-time head coach. Will he return to Indiana in 2021-22?
Indiana Pacers President Kevin Pritchard offered some thoughts on Nate Bjorkgren.
The Pacers set a franchise NBA record with 115.3 points per game in Bjorkgren’s first season. Scoring was never really much of an issue even with injuries knocking out several key scoring options all season long. With Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. Warren both missing significant time, the Pacers still found a way to score.
Unfortunately, the Pacers also set a franchise NBA record for points allowed per game, also at 115.3 points. Pritchard was very supportive of Bjorkgren’s X’s and O’s on offense and recognizes that he is one of the bright young minds in basketball. The only hangup is his human management.
#Pacers president Kevin Pritchard: "There's no doubt Nate has this incredible science of coaching, X and Os, what play to call....Then there's the art. I'm lucky. I've been around some amazing, emotionally intelligent coaches. That's there for Nate but that's got to be improved." https://t.co/krNuz77ZNe
— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) May 24, 2021
The rumors at the end of last season questioned Bjorkgren’s relationships with members of the organization, including players. Pritchard acknowledged that rumor in a recent press conference, mentioning the need for improvement in Bjorkgren’s “human management” moving forward.
Nobody is safe in terms of job security with the Indiana Pacers right now. Bjorkgren is already on the hot seat after just one season because of the team’s lack of success despite a solid roster on paper. Firing him is certainly an option although there are plenty of reasons to give him another chance to prove himself.
The decision will not come soon, at least according to Pritchard. The Pacers have the entire offseason to determine who they want to handle the coaching duties. However, with a lottery pick in their hands and a lot of personnel changes necessary, choosing the head coach for 2021-22 should come sooner rather than later. We saw how dangerous a late hiring was for this team last season.