2000-01 in Review: November 27 was a fateful day for Nate McMillan. After Wally Walker fired Paul Westphal, he chose McMillan as the 12th head coach in Sonic history, on an interim basis. McMillan faced a tough road -- his first game as coach was the next night at Portland. Two nights later he would make his home debut against the defending Champion LA Lakers. McMillan immediately made his presence felt by making two changes to the starting lineup, demoting rookie guard Desmond Mason and veteran forward Vin Baker in place of Emanual Davis and Jelani McCoy. And then the unthinkable happened -- the Sonics won in the Rose Garden for the first time since the George Karl era. Two nights later, they followed it up with a resounding 121-88 blowout win over the Lakers. Things weren't quite as easy for the rest of the season as fans might have hoped, but the Sonics under McMillan were clearly far better than they had been with Westphal, improving from 6-9 to 38-35. The results were more than enough for the Sonics, and on March 27 McMillan was signed to a four year contract to be head coach.

Previous Career: Although he was never a star, McMillan became arguably the most popular player in Sonic history over his 12-year career with the team. His impressive work ethic and heady on-court play made him an unofficial coach during his final few seasons with the team as he struggled with injuries, and he officially graduated to the role of assistant coach following his retirement after the 1997-98 season. There was some speculation that McMillan might immediately inherit the top job, but the Sonics decided to groom him while Westphal was head man. Over the next two years, McMillan did nothing to tarnish his sterling reputation, serving along with Dwane Casey as a 'go-between' for Westphal with the players because of his closer relationship with them. McMillan's role in the rapid rise of Rashard Lewis was also prominent. After the 1999-2000 season, McMillan interviewed for one head coaching job. Though he was not seriously considered, it was clear that he was a rising prospect in the coaching field.

Tactics: After taking over, McMillan reintroduced the trapping style which had been the Sonics' trademark during the George Karl era. In addition, McMillan reintroduced the full-court press on a game to game basis. Both of these changes helped hide the fact that, as a team, last year's Sonics were generally poor man defenders. Offensively, McMillan created more post-up opportunities for forward Ruben Patterson, which helped improve interior play. As well, a McMillan created inbounds play for Desmond Mason at the end of the games was a huge advantage for the Sonics in a handful of games, though he needs now to think of a decoy.
Grade: B+

Lineups: Though McMillan said soon after becoming coach that one of his goals was to create and use a set lineup, his use of reserves was at least as inconsistent -- if not more -- as Westphal's. Shammond Williams and Mason in particular say yo-yoing minutes which created inconsistency in their play. Perhaps with a full season, McMillan will improve in this regard, but he struggled last year. Grade: C-

Communication: The difference between Westphal and McMillan in terms of communication was night and day. Not only did McMillan have a better relationship with his young players, but he also neutralized many of the attitude problems of Gary Payton. McMillan forced Payton to respect both him and Payton's teammates, helping smooth chemistry in the second half. The one person McMillan struggled to communicate with was Vin Baker, who stormed out of one practice after yelling at the coach.
Grade: B+

Overall: For a coach taking over a 6-9 team failing to meet expectations mid-season, McMillan did an admirable job last season. Unfortunately, he might have faced some unrealistic expectations both because of the team's first two games under him and because of Sonic fans' memories of Lenny Wilkens and George Karl both taking over struggling clubs in mid-season and leading them deep into the playoffs. With a training camp of his own, McMillan should be able to completely put his stamp on the Sonics, and a return to the playoffs seems possible.
Grade: B