The Indiana Pacers blew it on Thursday night with a horrendous performance in a 142-115 loss to the Washington Wizards. Due to the loss, the Pacers have officially been eliminated from the playoff race. Because the loss was so embarrassing, it seems Nate Bjorkgren's job could be on the line. There is some buzz around him being on the hot seat after having an underwhelming season and issues with the players and the staff.

With one year under his belt as the Pacers head coach, Bjorkgren managed a 34-38 record. It was enough to allow Indiana to participate in the play-in tournament, where they actually won their first game against the Charlotte Hornets. The blowout loss to the Wizards came as a shock, as many believed the game was going to be much closer.

Nate Bjorkgren's job could be on the line as a result of that and other factors, as many point the blame at the head coach before anything else. The Pacers have every right to blame him though, as according to ESPN, players and some staff members have had problems working with Bjorkgren.

However, looking at the Pacers roster, it's not like he's working with an all-star squad late in the season. Caris LeVert, Indiana's top guard, was unavailable for the play-in game on Thursday night. LeVert landed on the health and safety protocol list, which left the Pacers with a mediocre backcourt to deal with Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook.

With LeVert, TJ Warren, and Myles Turner out of the lineup, Domantas Sabonis was left stranded, playing as the main facilitator throughout the game. He finished with a triple-double, recording 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Malcolm Brogdon was the team's leading scorer with 24 points, but outside of that, the rest of the lineup didn't do much to help.

Between Nate Bjorkgren being a first-time head coach (loaded with problems throughout the season) and the roster being in bad shape, it was amazing the Pacers even made it this far. The questions have to be asked, is it really Nate Bjorkgren's fault? Or was the roster not good enough to begin with?

The answer to those questions will be answered by the front office during the offseason. If they fire Bjorkgren, the front office likely feels the roster is good enough to make the playoffs and then some. If they keep him, then there could be some big changes to the lineup for next year.

With that said, firing Bjorkgren is likely not the answer, but the locker room concerns could force him out of Indiana this offseason. The Pacers roster should improve next season with the returns of Warren, LeVert, and Turner. Assuming this team can stay healthy, a lineup consisting of Brogdon, LeVert, Warren, Sabonis, and Turner should make the Pacers more than competitive next year.

The Pacers are in a bit of a tough situation right now, as they don't necessarily have the cap space to improve the roster. According to Spotrac, Indiana will be roughly $6 million over the cap, even with Doug McDermott likely leaving. Even so, the roster should still be good enough to make a playoff appearance in 2022.

Nate Bjorkgren is on the hot seat and even though he was just hired, the Pacers should let him go. The locker room problems have been generated by him and once you lose a locker room, it's tough to get it back as a coach. Additionally, when the Pacers are healthy they have a decent enough lineup for most coaches to work with. Look for the Pacers to make a move as they hope to acquire a better leader for their coaching staff.