Nate McMillan wanted to send a message on the first day of the Indiana Pacers training camp.
His calling card as a coach is offense, but he chose to focus on the other side of the ball in Indiana’s opening practice. According to the Indy Star’s Nate Taylor, McMillan saw prioritizing defense as the best way to get things started.
With several new and established players, McMillan ultimately felt the trust between the coaching staff and players should not be developed by focusing on putting the ball through the basket. No. These Pacers, remolded this summer by team President Larry Bird, were going to start on defense.