Another former Indiana Pacers head coach has found a new home

Another guy named Nate who used to coach the Pacers has found a new place to call home.

Aug 10, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan gives instruction during the first half of a NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat at Visa Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 10, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan gives instruction during the first half of a NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat at Visa Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers hired Nate McMillan to coach the team in 2016. This was right after the Frank Vogel era had ended and their title window was officially shut. Paul George was traded and a new era of the team had started. McMillan was chosen to lead them in that era.

McMillan had some regular-season success and led Indiana to the playoffs in four straight years. The problem is that his teams lost in the first round every single year. He was given an extension in 2020 but was fired before it kicked in after the Pacers got swept by the Heat.

After that, he was hired in Atlanta as an assistant and then took over as the head coach midway through the following year. He eventually got let go from that job. Now, the coach has found another job, but this time as an assistant to a first-time head coach.

Former Pacers coach Nate McMillan has a new job

McMillan has been hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, he's going to help first-time head coach J.J. Redick figure out how to run a team properly. While he played in the league for a long time, coaching is going to be a different animal for Redick.

McMillan has been a very good assistant coach everywhere he's been. This is a good hire for the Lakers and he should be an excellent resource for Redick. I'm not sure this makes the team itself any better, but the roster isn't horrible. The West is just tough to play in.

When he was a head coach, he had a bit of an outdated offensive approach. There were a lot of midrange shots taken in areas that don't yield easy shots. The midrange shots that the Pacers take now are near the free-throw line straight on. Those are easier shots to hit.

McMillan is a good person and a solid coach. He should do well as an assistant in LA. He's the second former Pacers coach named Nate to get a new job.

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