Nate McMillan Would Be Worse Than Frank Vogel As Coach Of Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are apparently nearing an agreement for Nate McMillan to become their next head coach. This would unfortunately be a big downgrade from their last coach Frank Vogel. The Pacers need to find a complementary player to Paul George, and that is their main issue as a team right now.

Vogel was steady during his time in Indiana, and he was particularly great on the defensive end in his first stint as a head coach. He’ll get another chance in the NBA to be sure, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the New York Knicks give him a call once Phil Jackson gets back from vacation.

McMillan has been an assistant coach with the Pacers since 2013, and he was a head coach in the past for the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics. He’ll probably get the job because of his relationship with Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard, but it would’ve been nice to see the franchise interview available coaches like David Blatt and Jeff Van Gundy.

Vogel posted a record of 250-181 in six regular seasons with the Pacers, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they missed the playoffs next year. The coach might have saved his job by beating the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the postseason, but Indiana wasn’t able to make that happen.

Vogel’s record in the playoffs was 31-30, and that was likely the main cause for his dismissal. It’s strange that president Larry Bird claimed that he wants the team to play faster, but now he is close to hiring a guy famous for slowing down basketball games. The Pacers would be worse as a result.

McMillan has a career 478-452 record as a head coach, and his teams made five trips to the playoffs. They only reached the second round once, though, and fans in Indiana will be disappointed by what he brings to the table. The Pacers will ultimately miss Vogel, and he’ll get a better opportunity somewhere else.