Reports say that Atlanta Hawks will hire Nate McMillan as new assistant coach; The former Indiana Pacers man will serve under current head coach Lloyd Pierce; McMillan left the Pacers after losing in the first round of the NBA play-offs
Thursday 5 November 2020 15:45, UK
Former NBA head coach Nate McMillan will join the Atlanta Hawks' staff, according to reports in US media.
The New York Times says the former Indiana Pacers head coach will now serve as an assistant under Lloyd Pierce.
The Pacers fired McMillan from his head coaching job after they were swept by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs this summer.
Indiana went 45-28 in the abbreviated 2019-20 season, leaving McMillan with 183-136 record in his four seasons running the team.
The Pacers made the playoffs all four years but never once got out of the opening round.
McMillan also was a head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics from 2000-01 to 2004-05, producing a 212-183 record, and of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2005-06 to 2011-12, logging a 266-269 mark.
Only once, in his final year with the Sonics, has McMillan taken a team to the second round of the postseason. With a 661-588 overall regular-season record, McMillan ranks 22nd on the all-time NBA coaching wins list.
McMillan, 56, was a two-time All-Defensive second-team performer during his playing career, spent entirely in Seattle from 1986-87 to 1997-98.
He averaged 5.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, four assists and 1.9 steals in 796 games (373 starts).
The Hawks have missed the playoffs in both of their seasons under Pierce, who has a combined 49-100 record after a 20-47 season in 2019-20.
