Just days after being named the new head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Nate Bjorkgren already has a clear vision for his team.
According to him, the Pacers' offense will feature lots of movement and versatility from its players. On defense, their main aim is to disrupt the rhythm of the opposing squad.
President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard shared the good news earlier this week, praising Bjorkgren's significant coaching experience, as well as his capacity to innovate and communicate effectively. Now, Bjorkgren himself shared what he intends to do with the Pacers.
“We’ll be a fun team to watch,” Bjorkgren said in a video conference with reporters on Wednesday, per Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “You’re going to see a lot of movement on both sides of the ball. You’re going to see weakside movement on the offensive end. You’re going to see different players handling the ball and pushing it up the floor. We want to look for more possessions. We want to utilize the free throw line getting to the rim. Utilize that 3-point line…
“My approach to defense is you change and change quite frequently, between quarters, after timeouts, during an 8-0 run. I think that’s the disruptive part.”
Prior to taking the Pacers' head coaching position, Bjorkgren was an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors from 2018 to 2020, winning the NBA title in 2019.
The main concern of some Pacers fans is if they will indeed trade Victor Oladipo. Bjorkgren shared that he immediately called Oladipo, noting that they “had a great talk.”
Indiana reached the 2019-20 postseason in the Orlando bubble. However, they didn't go far as they were swept by the Miami Heat in the first round.
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