Nate McMillan has faced this kind of challenge before. Not the suspension and resumption of an NBA season because of a global pandemic, but the need to assemble a team and prepare to play several pressure-packed games in a relatively brief time period.
McMillan was an assistant coach for the United States teams in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and remembers the accelerated pace by which those teams had to prepare. The Pacers, like the other 21 teams that will go to Orlando to resume the season on July 9, are at least familiar with one another. But they have not played a game since March 10 and will not be allowed to have a practice involving all the players and coaches until July 11 or 12.