While fans sit back and debate who else they may sign in free agency, the Portland Trail Blazers announced who will be joining Chauncey Billups on the bench.
We already knew former Wizards and Thunder head coach Scott Brooks would be joining his staff, as well as former WNBA player and University of Oregon graduate Edniesha Curry and Clippers assistant (who will likely work with the centers and forwards closely)Roy Rogers. Now the rookie coach has added additional assistants as announced by the president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.
Steve Hetzel
Hetzel was previously an assistant with the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic under former head coach Steve Clifford. According to a team news release, Hetzel coached the NBA G League’s Canton Charge for a season. He was also the player development coach of the Detroit Pistons, video coordinator with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and assistant video coordinator to the San Antonio Spurs. Hetzel has not played in the NBA.
Milt Palacio
Placio was most recently was an assistant coach with the G League’s Long Island Nets (2018-2020). Before joining Long Island, Placio was head coach of Durham United of the Canadian Basketball League for a season. He went undrafted out of Colorado State in 1999, but joined the Vancouver Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland, Toronto Raptors, and Utah Jazz as well as several clubs overseas before calling it a career in 2013 and joining the University of Idaho as director of player development. In his eight NBA seasons, the guard averaged 4.8 points and 2.5 assists in 17.9 minutes per game.
The Blazers also announced the hiring of Parker Hines as video coordinator. Hines was an assistant with the Austin Spurs of the G League. He replaces Jonathan Yim who held this position and served as their player development coach.