The Indiana Pacers have confirmed their starting lineup for the upcoming regular season. However, head coach Nate McMillan stated that ‘nothing is in stone' when it comes to spots in the team's rotation.
After the Pacers' 119-111 preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, McMillan praised the impact that point guard T.J. McConnell provided the team. That was the particular context when he made his statement about how nothing in the team's rotation is set.
“We needed him in a bad way,” McMillan said, via the team's official website. “I thought we were flat, both units, in that first half. He brought energy, and I'm looking for that.
“Nothing is in stone with our rotation. Those minutes are going to have to be earned. And I liked the energy and tempo that he brought to the floor.”
The only practical change that McMillan could make to the Pacers' projected rotation to create more minutes for McConnell would occur by reducing playing time for second-year guard Aaron Holiday.
A decision of that nature would contradict what McMillan recently told Nathan Brown of the IndyStar. During that conversation, McMillan stated that McConnell was brought in to ‘push’ Aaron Holiday and the team’s other guards, but ultimately, the backup role belonged to Holiday.
“He brings it everyday, not just pushing Aaron (Holiday) and the rest of our guards, but pushing himself, pushing the pace and the tempo. He just brings that type of energy to the floor,” McMillan said.
“But we made it clear when we recruited him that his role, Aaron was going to be that guy that started as far as the backup. He wasn’t coming here to compete for minutes, and he understood he’d be the third guard, but we want him to push our guards. In doing that, he’ll probably get the opportunity to play.”
It wouldn't be surprising to see McMillan elect to play a veteran like McConnell over a young player like Holiday. That has been a consistent theme in his coaching style since taking over as the Pacers' head coach. It has also been a pattern from the front office to add more established players midway through the season, which has taken away opportunities for prospects.
There must be further progress in Holiday's development sooner rather than later given that he is already 23-years-old. Deciding to potentially cut down on his opportunities in favor of allowing him to play through mistakes would likely hinder his growth.
It will be interesting to see how McMillan ultimately decides to manage the Pacers' rotation, especially while Victor Oladipo remains sidelined. They have an ideal chance to allow young players to develop but favoring veterans could pay greater immediate dividends.
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