The Indiana Pacers moved on from coach Frank Vogel in the offseason and hired his assistant, Nate McMillan, as part of a multi-faced approach to juice up the offense to the liking of team president Larry Bird. Indiana played a fairly up-tempo game last season (they were 10th overall in pace in 2015-16), but the team’s first preseason game was an eye-opener to just how different life may be under McMillan. Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star has more:
In their first of six dress rehearsals, the Pacers played at a faster pace than last season under former coach Frank Vogel. They shot the ball 104 times and attempted 34 3-pointers. They scored 58 points in the paint. Yet what impressed McMillan the most was how the Pacers committed just 11 turnovers, a low number given the number of possessions they had against the Pelicans.
“We did a good job of attacking the basket and we had 25 assists, so we’re moving the ball,” McMillan said after Tuesday’s game. “That’s what we wanted to do and I thought our guys committed to that.”
Several Pacers after Tuesday’s game mentioned how the increased tempo was different for them – and how winded they became at times.
George pointed out another difference. It was a rarity when McMillan called a play. George said he thought McMillan called just five plays – all either after a timeout or when the Pacers inbounded the ball from the baseline – during Tuesday’s game when he was on the court.
“Everything was just free flow and we’re still trying to figure that out,” George said. “We’ve been so used to a set or calling of plays and now we’re getting that freedom. I think that’s going to take some time, but once we get it, we could easily be a 115-point team a night.”
Several veterans agreed with George that the Pacers are not close to how potent they can be on offense. But they appreciate how McMillan is putting faith in his players – and their talent – by having them learn one another without a set of plays to get them organized.
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Throughout training camp, McMillan has had his players scrimmage with a 14-second shot clock, 10 fewer than allowed. McMillan’s experiment has forced the Pacers to play faster, think faster and react faster than usual.
That mindset and style allowed the Pacers to accomplish McMillan’s goal Tuesday of having his team score at least 110 points against the Pelicans.
“If we have a free flow where we’re not coming down pounding the ball or we’re not coming down looking to call plays, it puts us in attack mode every possession,” George said Wednesday. “Coach is fine with us getting a good look with 23 on the clock or two on the clock. It’s on us to push the tempo and get good looks.”
The style and pace Tuesday was effective for Al Jefferson, the Pacers’ oldest player. Listed at 289 pounds, Jefferson is far from the fastest player on the team. But he ran against the Pelicans and he kept running until he became tired, which was what McMillan asked of him.
