Reggie Miller spoke out against the Indiana Pacers after they signed Rick Carlisle. Miller believes the Pacers have no more excuses now, given the kind of coach they have.
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Nate McMillan was the coach of this Indiana team from 2014-2020, leading them to the playoffs multiple times. However, McMillan was never able to take the Pacers over the top, and as a result, he was fired.
The Pacers then brought in Nate Bjorkgren to coach them, hoping his success as a G-League coach and stellar record as an assistant in Toronto the year before would help. After all, he was under Nick Nurse, who had changed the culture in Toronto, leading them to a championship.
That failed miserably as Bjorkgern reportedly lost the Pacers locker room in his first year:
Rick Carlisle Is A “Hall of Fame Coach”, “No More Excuses” For Domantas Sabonis & The Pacers Says Reggie Miller
Rick Carlisle is set to coach the Indiana Pacers as he signed a four-year, $29 million contract with the team. Carlisle comes over to Indiana after having had a successful tenure with the Dallas Mavericks.
He won the Mavs a championship in 2011, taking down the formidable Miami Heat big three which feature LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. After that, the Mavericks were a perennial playoff contender under Carlisle.
They made the playoffs each of the last two years as well, falling to the Clippers both times in the first round. However, his championship pedigree and winning mentality should make this a good pairing for Indiana.
It also means the Pacers no longer have an excuse according to Reggie Miller. After firing Bjorkgren and McMillian in consecutive years, they have a worthy coach who can take this team far if they commit to him.
The Pacers have a playoff worthy team. Sabonis is a regular All Star, and they have good rotational pieces in Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, and Caris LeVert.
The Pacers narrowly missed out on the playoffs this year, losing their second play-in game to the Washington Wizards. If anyone can help take this team back to the playoffs, it’s definitely Rick Carlisle.
