ChrisHaynes, CSNNW.com Trail Blazers Insider (@ChrisBHaynes)
It'sbeen nearly two months since former Portland Trail Blazers' headcoach, Nate McMillan, last roamed the sidelines and he's looking toget back at it again.
OnApril 30, the Charlotte Bobcats relieved head coach, Paul Silas, ofhis duties after leading the team to a record of 7-59 and finishingwith the NBA's worst winning-percentage (.106) in the league's66-year history.
McMillan,47, was born and raised in North Carolina and is in the process ofhaving a home built in Charlotte. Some have speculated that McMillanand the Bobcats would be a perfect match and others have said hewouldn't be interested because they're not a contending playoff team.
Coachsets the record straight for those who say he's only looking for awin-now situation.
Notnecessarily, McMillan explained to CSNNW.com. The plan inPortland, when I got there was to rebuild and we were lucky to draftsome really good players. Injuries just put a damper on things.Coaching is coaching. It would be a new beginning for me. Young teamor a veteran team....If you're saying, 'I'm just looking for aveteran team,' that's not true.
Dependson the opportunity. It takes two to agree to a deal and we'll seewhenever that happens. I won't just take anything, it will depend onthe situation.
Whenasked, McMillan wouldn't mention if he's been contacted by teams,electing to say that his agent handles all of that. However, he doessay that his next stop has to include a detailed strategy that'sin-sync with his principles.
WhereverI end up at, I want to know the team's game plan going in and how toexecute as an organization, McMillan said. If it makes senseand that plan makes sense to me and it fits, you accept it and go forit.
Inthe meantime, while McMillan awaits his fate, he's still conductingbusiness as if he's still an employed NBA head coach and part of thatconsist of still following the Trail Blazers.
I'mtreating this time I have like I would at the end of any other NBAseason. This new transition is basically off-season for me. I've movedon. You have to, McMillan said.
Isee what they're (Trail Blazers) trying to do by looking to try andkeep the organization from crippling. They lost a lot this year. Whenyou lose Brandon (Roy) and a potential franchise player in Greg Oden,those are major losses that impact your team.
Speakingof injuries, LaMarcus Aldridge (right hip surgery), Derrick Rose(torn ACL), and Dwight Howard (herniated disk) will all likely beunavailable to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games in London thissummer and McMillan is an assistant coach for Team USA.
Itseems like McMillan cannot avoid players he's associated with fromgoing down. Nonetheless, he views injuries as a common element insports.
Nah,its (injuries) not following me, McMillan said. Injuries arepart of it. The last few years have been rough for me as a coach butit's something that every coach experiences in their career.Hopefully, we won't lose any more guys because I'm looking forward togoing to London and getting together with the guys again.
Insix and a half seasons with the Trail Blazers, McMillan steered theteam to a 266-269 record. He's the Trail Blazers second-longesttenured head coach in team history and ranks third among all-timeTrail Blazers head coaches with 266 wins.
Largelyresponsible for the level of respectability the Trail Blazers havereached and despite the way he was ousted, McMillan remains aprofessional and appreciative of the opportunity to have coached inthe city of Portland.
It'sa great organization and a great fan base, McMillan said.Unfortunately, we had the situation we had there, where a numberof guys due to injury could not perform. One, it ended his career andpossibly two. Portland is a great basketball town and theorganization is great. We had a good thing going. We just weren'table to accomplish what everyone sets out to do. Change happens andyou have to adapt and move on.
Ifmoving on doesn't progress swiftly enough, don't expect to seeMcMillan follow in the footsteps of Hubie Brown and Jeff Van Gundy byjumping on television as a NBA broadcaster.
Idon't see myself as a TV guy, but you never know, McMillan said.You never say never. Maybe an appearance or two. I'm a coach.
