On March 1st, 2021, the Atlanta Hawks were 14-20 and destined for another forgettable season. But then head coach Lloyd Pierce was fired and assistant coach, Nate McMillan, was promoted to interim coach.
That move saved their season and ultimately propelled the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals.
This is the same Nate McMillan who was named head coach of the Seattle Supersonics in 2000. In his five years in Seattle, McMillan amassed a record of 212-183 and led the Supersonics to the playoffs twice. In 2005, he took the head coaching job in Portland. That season, the Trailblazers went 21-61. But in each of the next three seasons, the team improved. Over his seven years with the team, he went 266-269 but failed to advance out of the first round of the playoffs in three playoff appearances.
McMillan was hired by the Indiana Pacers in 2013 as an assistant coach. Three years later he was named the team’s head coach. They made the playoffs in each of his four years at the helm. But once again, his team failed to advance past the first round.
Early playoff exits are an annoying slight on an otherwise good head coaching career (661-588, not including his current tenure with Atlanta). So what’s different now?
Nate McMillan has channeled his inner-Bill Belichick as the Hawks’ head coach. And it’s working.
Bill Belichick is regarded as the greatest football coach in NFL history. With six Super Bowl victories, that’s hard to refute.
But what makes him so dominant is his ability to identify a weakness and exploit it mercilessly.
If an opponent can’t pass, he’ll place 8 men in the box and dare them to throw. If he faces a rookie cornerback, consider him a victim. He recognizes an opponent’s soft spot and abuses it. If he’s winning, he puts his foot on their jugular until the game is over. He’s done it throughout his career. Just rewind the tape of the Patriots’ game against Justin Herbert and the Chargers last season in LA. That was brilliantly dominant and abusive football.
But even more impressive is that he gets players to adopt his philosophy. He motivates them to elevate their game. Those who don’t are banished to the bench or another team.
McMillan has done something similar as the Hawks’ head coach.
He finished the regular season with a 27-11 record. That jumped the Hawks from 11th to 5th in the Eastern Conference. He instilled confidence in the young team. He forced them to cut down on their turnovers and improve their fourth-quarter efficiencies. Fans witnessed that Sunday night with Trae Young. Through three quarters he shot 2-16. In the fourth quarter, he went 3-7 and scored 10 crucial points in the period.
“Finish strong” is a mantra of every winning team. McMillan appears to have mandated that for his team as well.
According to Five Thirty Eight, the Hawks improved their fourth quarter shooting efficiency under McMillan from 42.9% to 47.3%. They also increased their three-point shooting in the fourth quarter from 34.8% to a league leading 41.2%.
Snatching Playoffs Wins and Hearts
The Hawks haven’t suffered the early playoff exits that plagued Nate McMillan teams in the past. That’s because they’ve fully embraced the game sermons McMillan preaches.
“Ever since Coach Mac [McMillan] came in, he’s really been the head of the snake,” said Kevin Huerter after Atlanta’s Game 7 win in Philadelphia Sunday night. “He’s preached toughness, getting it to ball handlers and believing in ourselves. We’ve got a young locker room, so we’re a little naive. We’re always believing, always knowing we can win. Now we’ve just got to keep going.”
Against the Knicks, McMillan quickly recognized New York’s weak spots. Their ineptitude in defending the pick and roll, the aging legs of Derrick Rose, their lack of another scorer outside of Julius Randall and Tom Thibodeau’s inexplicable stubbornness in guarding Trae Young with Reggie Bullock. The Hawks thumped the Knicks 4-1. For long-suffering Knicks fans, it was another painful playoff loss. For Hawks fans, it was hope.
In round two against the Sixers, McMillan executed another winning strategy, one that was clear was jump.
Let Ben Simmons play himself and the Sixers right out of the series.
It was a page right out of Belichick’s playbook. Dare the weak link to beat you.
The Hawks blatantly and embarrassingly exposed Simmons. When he was leading the offense, it essentially became a 4 on 5 advantage for the Hawks. McMillan was merciless in tempting Simmons to shoot. The Hawks gave him every chance to prove his talents, but offense was an allergen for Simmons. He outright refused to shoot or drive the lane. He appeared to look for every opportunity to rid himself of the ball. In the fourth quarter of their series against the Hawks, Simmons took a mind-numbing three shots.
That’s three total shots in seven games!
McMillan knew this was the Sixers’ Achilles heel. He was content letting Embiid get his because he knew Simmons would not. Unfortunately for Philadelphia’s big man, no one else stepped up to help him.
McMillan snatched Simmons’ confidence away. It was psychological warfare in its purest form. Atlanta won that battle and advanced, leaving everyone questioning Simmons talents.
Is Nate McMillan Bill Belichick? Absolutely not.
But their shared philosophies link the two. Because of this, Nate McMillan shockingly has his team four wins away from the NBA Finals.
The Hawks and the city of Atlanta have bought into his philosophy of tough defense and offensive movement that flows through Trae Young. He dissected the Knicks and exploited the offensive weakness of Ben Simmons to beat the Sixers. While we wait to see how they approach Giannis and the Bucks, Nate McMillan has already won over the team, city, and league.
So like Bill Belichick, don’t count Nate McMillan out from hoisting the Championship Trophy at the end of season.
