The Indiana Pacers surprisingly fired head coach Nate McMillan earlier this summer after yet another strong season resulted in a first-round playoff sweep. The move came shortly after the team signed him to an extension.
It’s rather clear that general manager Chad Buchanan and Co. are looking to change things up big time.
According to a recent report, that includes one big-name potential head coach:
"San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon and former Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger are among more than a dozen candidates who are expected to participate in a first round of virtual interviews for the Indiana Pacers coaching job," ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday.
To be clear, those Woj listed as potential head-coaching candidates boast a wide array of experience and previous success. In addition to Joerger and Hammon, it’s a pretty strong list.
Notice a theme here? Indiana is looking to pluck a top assistant from a group of respected NBA head coaches, including Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra, Rick Carlisle and Mike Budenholzer.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Going after a top assistant has been the name of the game for teams searching for a new head coach in recent years. Obviously, Hammon fits that category.
Here’s why she makes sense for the Pacers.
Given what we’ve seen from Hammon over the past seven years in San Antonio, she’s among the most experienced assistants being considered for Indiana’s head coach job. She’s also a perfect fit.
In and of itself, this makes her the best hire to replace McMillan on the Pacers’ bench. It’s that simple.
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