Indiana Pacers news: Grading Nate McMillan's contract extension

Indiana Pacers news: Grading Nate McMillan’s contract extension

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 06: Nate McMillan of the Indiana Pacers looks on during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 06, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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Indiana Pacers (Photo by Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images) /

What the extension means for the Pacers

In the NBA’s race to stay on top, changing the coach is often seen as a fast-track to success. Now and then, it works out beautifully, like when the Golden State Warriors fired Mark Jackson and hired Steve Kerr and revolutionized the sport, but that’s not a route you can count on.

More often than not, the grass isn’t greener on the other side in the coaching game, and a team like the Pacers who have found themselves making the playoffs on a regular basis can’t guarantee greater success simply by changing the coach.

While McMillan is absolutely an old-school coach in a new-school era, he coaches effort and tough defense, and those qualities alone will take you a long way in the NBA.

In extending McMillan, the Indiana Pacers also find themselves securing some part of their own financial future. Especially for the league’s smaller markets, in this economy, you don’t really want to find yourself paying for two different coaches at the same time, especially when one of those coaches has taken you to the playoffs for the last four seasons.

While sometimes moving on from a coach can raise a team’s ceiling and set them up for great future success, the 2020 Indiana Pacers are probably not the time and place where that gamble is worth it.

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