NBA: “Happy LeBron is no longer in the East”

LeBron James left the Eastern Conference for the first time in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Competitors are happy about this, as Pacers coach Nate McMillan now admits.

“We are very happy that he has gone to the West,” McMillan told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe about the move from LeBron to the Lakers. “But we also know that it will still be a challenge for us.”

However, the Pacers coach does not believe that the East has weakened as a result. “Boston is full again and a very deep team, and Toronto is hungry for the season they had.” At the same time, McMillan did not want to write off the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom the coach compared with last season’s Pacers.

The Pacers reached the playoffs last season after franchise player Paul George was traded to OKC the summer before. Indiana was one of the surprises of the season and had to admit defeat in the first playoff round after seven hard-fought games between LeBron and the Cavs.