When it comes to NBA coaching staffs, of course, the majority of the attention goes to the head coach. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, each year’s record goes on the ledger of Chris Finch and not the assistant coaches.
There is a reason, though, that NBA benches seem to be expanding in recent years as clubs have begun to employ more and more assistants. There’s a lot on their plates to ensure the team is ready every game. The Timberwolves have been lucky to employ one of the best in Micah Nori, but is his time with Minnesota winding down?
On Wednesday, The Athletic posted an article where they revealed some of the top head coaching candidates for the NBA amongst those that have never been a head coach. To what should be to the surprise of nobody, Nori is included on the list.
As Eric Nehm and Fred Katz wrote in The Athletic article,
“He’s (Nori) best known with the Wolves for his detailed game planning. When the coaching staff divvies up its scouting reports, Nori consistently takes the more difficult teams.”
Nori is a clear head coaching candidate
The 52-year-old has been the lead assistant for the Timberwolves since the 2021-22 season. He’s approaching two decades of coaching experience, as he’s been an assistant in the league since 2009. Nori’s prior teams are the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, and Detroit Pistons.
With the New York Knicks casting a wide net in their coaching search last offseason, the team granted an interview to Nori. They instead hired Mike Brown to replace Tom Thibodeau. Micah was also seen as a candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers' head coach opening in the previous season, but the Lakers instead turned to JJ Redick.
Right now, the head coaching openings in the league aren’t many, but that is likely to change. Doc Rivers retired from the Milwaukee Bucks. James Borrego spent much of the season coaching the New Orleans Pelicans on an interim basis after they fired Willie Green. Many are expecting the Orlando Magic job to open up, and there are usually a couple of surprises.
Nori has become a beloved figure by the Minnesota fan base, not just for the immense work he does to prepare the team, but also for his entertaining interviews with sideline reporters. He’s a deserving head coaching candidate, and the upcoming offseason could be the one that he finally secures the role.
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