The Indiana Pacers are hanging around in the Eastern Conference, but there may be some uncertainty over head coach Nate McMillan’s job security.
Appearing this week on ESPN’s “The Lowe Post” with Zach Lowe, Jeff Van Gundy said that he has had multiple people tell him in the Orlando bubble that McMillan is in trouble, per Alex Golden of PacersTalk. Lowe added that McMillan firing buzz has been “the hottest rumor of the season” in the NBA.
While Van Gundy did also say that he “chuckle[d]” at the rumors, McMillan poses an interesting case. The Pacers are 3-1 in bubble play despite being without Domantas Sabonis and having Victor Oladipo at essentially half-speed. They may not hang around for very long in the playoffs, but they are currently No. 5 in the Eastern Conference and seem to be maximizing the talent on their roster.
McMillan, who is in his fourth season with the team and is under contract through 2020-21, still admittedly has yet to make it out of the first round as Pacers coach. But he generally seems to be well-liked and appears to be doing the best he can despite having no true superstars on his team.
