After a disastrous season, the Pacers quickly fired coach Nate Bjorkgren. “He handled it quite well.”
Nate Bjorkgren, who was sacked on Wednesday after just one season on the job, was expected to lead the Indiana Pacers into the “modern” era of coaching.
After being hired from the Toronto Raptors, where he had served as assistant coach to Nick Nurse and won the 2019 NBA championship, Bjorkgren finished 34–38 in his lone season as head coach. The Pacers defeated Charlotte in their opening game in the NBA play-in tournament, but then were thrashed 142-115 by Washington, preventing them from qualifying for the postseason.
During a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday, Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard stated, “Nate beat himself up today as much as any coach I’ve ever seen.” “He took it quite seriously.”
Who will coach the Pacers going forward in lieu of Nate Bjorkgren, who was fired?
Although Pritchard acknowledged consulting with ownership, he ultimately decided to fire Bjorkgren. He said that players would be contacted about the next job, albeit he wasn’t sure how much.
The Warriors’ limping to the end was undoubtedly caused by injuries, but their poor play began much earlier. Myles Turner missed the last 19 games due to turf toe on his right foot, Jeremy Lamb missed the final 17 games due to surgery on his left leg, and Malcolm Brogdon missed the final 10 games due to right hamstring soreness.
The Pacers have never won more than three straight games and have dropped season series against teams from the East, including the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and New York Knicks.
Nate McMillan, who was sacked after his team lost in the first round of the playoffs four times in a row despite having a No. 4 seed, was replaced by Bjorkgren.
Under Bjorkgren, who was meant to be the antithesis of the tough-gutting McMillan, the Pacers finished ninth. Still, Bjorkgren’s overly aggressive defensive strategies, especially against his players, infuriated a great deal of individuals within the organisation.
Pritchard stated that he was searching for a coach with a youthful, contemporary approach to fit the NBA’s current style of play last year. He claims he doesn’t want to veer too far back towards the conventional strategy with the impending coaching search.
He did, however, bring up the “hardhat, lunch pail” strategy of the preceding 12–13 years, which he believed contributed to success.
Along with being a micromanager, Bjorkgren also discouraged innovation and suggestions from his employees, which in turn led to their dissatisfaction. That culminated in a verbal altercation on the court between Goga Bitadze and assistant coach Greg Foster during a May 5 home defeat to the Sacramento Kings. Foster received a one-game suspension. The team penalised Bitadze.
If you questioned Pritchard if a particular incident caused the firing, he would have preferred not to respond.
Ahead of his difficult first season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Nate Bjorkgren has been fired.
Twitter reaction: Fans respond to Nate Bjorkgren’s firing as the Pacers head coach following just one season in office.
This year, Pritchard said in leaving interviews that he was more critical of his players than in the past. He made reference to Al Jefferson’s previous leadership role when he noted that no player has volunteered to take the lead in the locker room.
Pritchard doesn’t hesitate to mention the possibility of wanting to sign a seasoned leader, regardless of the player’s position on the court, even though he thinks certain existing players could fill that role.
Pritchard has already started a coaching search, but the Pacers aren’t starting from zero because they were in this situation just nine months ago.
According to Pritchard, the team’s goal is to remain competitive in the coming years rather than rebuild, emphasising that a single impactful signing, excellent hire, or well-drafted player can have a significant impact on other clubs in the league.
Before selecting Bjorkgren, the Pacers were unwilling to “retread,” willing to take a chance on the 45-year-old who had only served as a league assistant for four seasons.
The Pacers made a bold move. They failed to hit.
About the hiring of Bjorkgren, Pritchard remarked, “I wanted to take a chance.” “I wanted to go ahead and take a chance on something with a larger ceiling but a lower floor. Perhaps it’s skewed lower this year, and we take a somewhat different approach. I just don’t want to share it just yet, even though I have it in my head.”
The 2021-22 season on Bjorkgren’s contract is guaranteed, so owner Herb Simon will have to pay two coaches.
