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 Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images) /

Mike D’Antoni is on the Pacers’ radar

It seems as though you don’t jettison a proven NBA coach with scarcely a moment’s notice if you don’t have another one lined up, at least as a general rule. The Indiana Pacers have clearly decided that first-round exits are simply not enough, and will likely be looking to make a perceived improvement at the head coach spot.

Current Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni appears to be an early target for the Pacers, even though D’Antoni is currently coaching the Rockets in the Western Conference playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The match between D’Antoni and the Pacers’ current roster is dubious at best. While D’Antoni’s teams tend to feature a transcendent lead guard like Steve Nash or James Harden, Victor Oladipo has not looked anywhere close to his old self more than a year and a half after rupturing his quad in January of 2018, and it’s possible that the Pacers’ two best players are bigs in Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner.

Maybe there’s some mutual interest, but it certainly doesn’t appear like an ideal fit. On the plus side, perhaps this can be a test case for whether coaching tampering is actually a thing.

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