New Orleans Pelicans: Evaluating Nate McMillan for Head Coach

Recently fired Pacers head coach Nate McMillan could draw interest from the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Recently fired Pacers head coach Nate McMillan could draw interest from the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The New Orleans Pelicans could take interest in recently fired head coach Nate McMillan

When the Indiana Pacers fired their head coach Nate McMillan the other day, I began thinking about the New Orleans Pelicans, as I have with every possible coaching candidate since Alvin Gentry was fired.

Seeing the initial news that Indiana decided to part ways with McMillan even got me a little bit excited, because it’s not often that you see a successful NBA head coach get fired and go to the open market.

This situation was even more surprising considering the Pacers organization just announced their plans to extend McMillian before their season came to an end. Could this set the New Orleans Pelicans up for a chance to capitalize on the Indiana Pacers’ mistake?

That’s something a lot of Pelicans fans have been wondering, taking to social media and voicing their admiration for McMillan’s candidacy. At first, I was hesitant to agree with these fans but the more I’ve thought about it the more I think there could be something there with McMillan, even if I’m advocating personally for a first time hire.

Now Nate McMillan did just say that he plans to take the next year off from coaching but I don’t think that means he wouldn’t consider the New Orleans Pelicans opening if the team showed genuine interest in him.

With a solid track record of success with three organizations and some questions about his playoff success and style in the NBA, let’s take this time to evaluate Nate McMillan’s case to be the New Orleans Pelicans next head coach.