The Indiana Pacers will interview more than a dozen candidates as they seek to replace the recently dismissed Nate McMillan, and according to a new report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and former Grizzlies and Kings coach Dave Joerger are among the candidates Indiana will look at.
Also on the list are common NBA coaching candidates like Sixers assistant Ime Udoka, Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, and newly-demoted Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn, in addition to newer names like Milwaukee assistant Charles Lee and Miami’s Dan Craig and Chris Quinn.
For the most part, though, it seems like Indiana is casting a pretty wide net in the search for its next head coach. The NBA has a ton of highly qualified and smart assistant coaches who could take the Pacers to the next level after five straight first-round playoff exits in the Eastern Conference.
When McMillan was dismissed, reports indicated Indiana would target a coach like Mike D’Antoni who could improve the team’s offense. While D’Antoni’s availability is unknown with the Rockets in the middle of a second-round battle with the Lakers, other creative offensive coaches like Joerger, Hammon, and Vaughn will give the Pacers some new perspective about their team as they conduct a wide-ranging search.
