This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Mike Sykes.
Nate McMillan was unceremoniously relieved from his duties by the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
By no means did he do a perfect job. The Hawks had high expectations for this team they poured everything into. But…they’re just a play-in team. And that’s not good enough. So, sure, it’s fair to lay some blame at his feet. But the problems in Atlanta are bigger than just Nate McMillan.
So much bigger.
We’ve seen this story before, folks. McMillan was removed from the Hawks’ job the same way that he got it. Nearly two years ago to the day on March 1, the Hawks tapped McMillan as their interim head coach after they fired Lloyd Pierce.
Pierce’s problem was his reportedly “strained” relationship with Trae Young toward the end of his tenure. By then, multiple players on the roster were OK with the Hawks moving on.
Essentially the same exact thing is happening with McMillan. Yes, there are things you can point to in Atlanta’s performance that say change is necessary. They’re a play-in team with an average offense and one of the worst defenses in the NBA. None of that is good.
But the real reason McMillan’s gone is — you guessed it! — he can’t get along with Trae Young.
Their beef has been well documented this season. The two even had a heated exchange that ultimately led to Young not playing in a game against Denver early in the season after he reportedly refused to participate in a team shootaround.
Things got so bad after the incident that McMillan actually considered leaving in the middle of the season, per The Athletic. Ultimately, instead of waiting around for McMillan to make that decision, the Hawks just made it for him.
Here’s the kicker. Hawks’ GM Landy Fields is looking for a coach that will improve “player development and accountability,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. They want someone who will help in “defining what a Hawks player will be” — whatever that means.
Now, maybe I’m tripping. But isn’t that…exactly what it seemed like McMillan was doing?
He holds the team’s very best player accountable and asks him to do a thing with the team. It blows up in his face and boom — a few months later he’s out. None of this adds up to me.
I don’t think the Hawks had a Nate McMillan problem. Was he the solution? Maybe not. But their vibes are off. And they’ve been off for a while.
Maybe it’s Trae Young. Maybe it’s the fact John Collins basically lives on the trade block these days. Maybe it’s the pressure of giving everything up for Dejounte Murray. I don’t know.
But the Hawks need to figure it out. And they don’t have a coach to blame anymore.
Quick hits: Our latest NFL mock draft, Micah Parson’s load management take and more
- The Super Bowl just ended (in heartbreak for my Eagles), but FTW’s Christian D’Andrea is already here with a mock draft. And there’s a trade in the top 5!
- I don’t know who asked Micah Parsons about load management, but Robert Zeglinski is not here for it,
- Trade SZN is heating up in the NHL and Mary Clarke has 5 teams who could trade for Patrick Kane.
- It’s reportedly a “make or break” year for Madden with EA Sports and, plz, give me NFL 2k.
