Indiana Pacers fire Nate McMillan: 2 early takeaways

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 10: Head coach Nate McMillan of the Indiana Pacers reacts to a call during the second half against the Miami Heat at Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 10, 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 Kim Klement - Pool/Getty Images) /

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Indiana Pacers (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Two weeks to the day after the Indiana Pacers signed head coach Nate McMillan a one-year extension, they fired him. We’ll look at the ramifications.

Just a few weeks ago, the buzz around the NBA bubble in Orlando was that Indiana Pacers‘ head coach Nate McMillan was on the hot seat. It was surprising, considering the injuries and other challenges his squad had faced, but where there’s smoke, there is often fire.

The story got even stranger when just a couple of days later, the Pacers signed McMillan to a one-year extension. Not necessarily a strong vote of confidence at just a year, but it seemed as though perhaps the organization wanted to stem the tide of these rumors and show firm support to their head coach as he was about to lead his team into the playoffs against the Miami Heat.

Well, apparently not.

Two weeks to the day (and four straight losses to the Heat) after McMillan’s extension, the Pacers fired him. They did so in brutal fashion with a statement referring to his playoff record. Mind you, the record is bad. With the Pacers, he went 3-16 and overall in his career he’s gone 17-36, but that’s some cutthroat business and an unbecoming way to send off your coach of the last four years.

The deed is done, so we’ll go over a couple of our biggest takeaways in these early hours following Nate McMillan’s dismissal as coach of the Indiana Pacers.

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