New Orleans Pelicans: Evaluating Nate McMillan for Head Coach

The New Orleans Pelicans need to address concerns on Nate McMillan’s resume

If the New Orleans Pelicans are seriously going to consider hiring Nate McMillan, there’s going to be some concerns that need addressing first.

The most glaring of those concerns is McMillan’s playoff record. Despite winning a lot of regular-season games in his coaching career, McMillan holds an atrocious 17-36 record in the playoff. For every team he’s taken to the playoffs, he’s made it past the first round just once. Yuck!

The New Orleans Pelicans are an organization focusing on leaping into championship contention with their young franchise cornerstones and I don’t know if the team would trust McMillan to be the coach for that.

Then come questions about his offense, the Indiana Pacers this past year were shooting only 28 three-point shots per game ranking them last in the NBA. Add to that a lethargic pace and there are serious worries about if McMillan understands the modern NBA.

Once those concerns come up, then the New Orleans Pelicans have every right to question McMillan’s leadership style too. I think the New Orleans Pelicans need a stricter coach to grow but McMillan’s drill-sergeant style might be too far.

I believe Nate McMillan is a tremendous head coach with a lot of achievements on his resume to prove it, but there are better coaches out there for the New Orleans Pelicans. In my estimation, what the New Orleans Pelicans need is a fresh face. Someone who knows system basketball but also can a guiding teacher for this youthful roster.

That’s just not who Nate McMillan has proven himself to be over three-stints as a head coach and though Pelicans fans may disagree I think the New Orleans Pelicans need to keep searching.