The Indiana Pacers and assistant coach Mike Weinar shockingly agreed to part ways recently, but this may not be the only time the team deals with this soon.
Weinar had previously been a long-time assistant to Rick Carlisle, dating back to his time with the Dallas Mavericks. This move was sudden and came as a surprise. It remains to be seen what is next in store for Weinar, but this is far from ideal for Indiana, and the team may have to brace itself for similar moves in the future.
Following Weinar's departure, Michael Facci of the Setting the Pace Podcast spoke about how rival teams could pick Indiana's coaching staff apart, especially if they have another good season. Facci specifically noted that teams could pursue Lloyd Pierce, who has been with the Pacers since 2021 (h/t the Setting the Pace Podcast).
"[Something] I've kind of worried for a little bit is, if the Pacers have another good year, could Lloyd Pierce be in the running to be a head coach somewhere else? And then, that would be really unfortunate to see this coaching staff getting plucked away little by little," Facci said.
As it stands, the Pacers likely do not have to worry about losing anybody else on the coaching staff the rest of the offseason. However, given that they have constantly exceeded expectations and have one of the overall best staffs in the NBA, it would not be a surprise if they lose other big names in the near future.
The Pacers' coaching staff has played a big role in their success
In each of the last two seasons, the Pacers made it to two conference finals and one NBA Finals. While most of the credit rightfully goes to the players, a lot of it also deserves to go to Carlisle and his coaching staff.
Since returning to Indiana a few years ago, Carlisle has implemented a fantastic system that has led the team to success. His run-and-gun system works perfectly for the Pacers and is incredibly difficult for other teams to replicate. A big reason for this is that everybody on the team buys into the system, and that includes the rest of the coaching staff.
There is a lot to like about the Pacers and what the team as a whole brings to the table. The entire organization consists of players, coaches, etc., with high basketball IQ, and that is why the team has been as successful as they have been recently.
Unfortunately for them, it also makes them an easy target for other teams looking to bolster their roster or staff.
Weinar's moving on is a big loss for Indiana, and it remains to be seen how much of an impact it will make. However, this is not likely to be the only time the Pacers will have to deal with this situation, especially if they continue to have success for the foreseeable future.