The Portland Trail Blazers initially cast a wide net of candidates for their head coaching position. They finally narrowed down that extensive list to three finalists: acting head coach Tiago Splitter, Minnesota's Micah Nori, and Boston's Tyler Lashbrook.
However, Portland's interview process was delayed as new owner Tom Dundon's Carolina Hurricanes were in the Stanley Cup. That was one of several factors leading to Portland ultimately losing Splitter as a candidate, as he recently accepted the head coaching position with the Chicago Bulls.
That made Nori and Lashbrook the final two candidates, leaving Portland in a vulnerable position. Nori is also a finalist for the Dallas Mavericks position, and should he prefer that gig, the Blazers would essentially have to pick their head coach by the process of elimination. Lashbrook potentially would've been the last man standing rather than the top priority, starting the Blazers' Dundon era off on an even worse note than before.
Chris Jent joins Micah Nori and Tyler Lashbrook as Blazers coaching candidates
That worst-case scenario has likely contributed to Portland adding another finalist into the mix: New York's Chris Jent.
"A new name that's started to circulate in the last day or two in connection to the Blazers' coaching opening, in addition to confirmed finalists Micah Nori and Tyler Lashbrook: Knicks associate HC Chris Jent," Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report said on X.
Following their Finals win, Knicks head coach Mike Brown publicly advocated for Jent, highlighting his experience, contributions to New York's offense, and ability to win at the highest level.
"Chris Jent, my associate head coach, I'm surprised he hasn't gotten an interview," Brown said. "He's our offensive coordinator. He's been around for a long time. Somebody needs to give him an interview because he'll help your team win at the highest level."
With Damian Lillard's return, there are similarities in how the Knicks play and how the Blazers should look to play. Karl-Anthony Towns' unique skillset as a center is nearly impossible to replicate, though Portland does have a stretch five of its own emerging in Donovan Clingan. In order to make that formula work, though, the Blazers must continue adding shooting on the wings, which is already a point of emphasis this summer.
After the historic run the Knicks just had, Jent's role in that success, and Brown's stamp of approval, Portland is right to at least give Jent a longer look. As an assistant around the league since joining the Philadelphia 76ers staff in 2003, Jent has the resume and experience to justify a head coaching position. He has arguably as strong a case as Nori, with Lashbrook being more of a potential wild card bet on talent over experience.
While it's great he's under consideration, the timing is questionable for a Blazers organization that needs to act with greater urgency. They already lost Splitter to the Bulls and can't afford to risk losing Nori to the Mavericks due to any further delays in the interview process.
Add us as a preferred source on Google