It felt like a matter of time before Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori earned a head coaching job. On Tuesday afternoon, it finally happened as the Portland Trail Blazers hired him as their head coach.
Nori has served as the Wolves' lead assistant since 2021 and has been an assistant in the NBA since 2009. He rose to prominence in 2024, when he took over sideline duties for Chris Finch after he suffered a knee injury. Eventually, Nori helped guide the Wolves to their first conference finals appearance in 20 years.
Since then, he has been interviewed for numerous head coaching openings and has solidified his standing as a top-tier assistant.
Seeing Nori get the Blazers job is bittersweet for the Wolves. Earlier this offseason, Finch had said that he hopes to see Nori earn a job this summer.
It's hard not to be happy for him as this has obviously been his long-time goal. All the same, Nori leaves behind a void that Minnesota will have to fill.
It's great to see Nori earn a head coaching job, but his departure will be significant for the Wolves
This past season, Nori helped aid Finch with late-game play-calling and rotations. More generally, Nori has been his right-hand man throughout Finch's tenure.
It's unclear what the Wolves will do this offseason, after they opted to salary-dump Julius Randle. There's no denying that they need to improve, though. And if the Wolves enter the year with less talent on paper (even with a roster that is a better fit), the pressure will be on Finch to maximize the talent he's given.
This could be easier said than done without Nori. You might not be able to see how an assistant's fingerprints impact the team's success, but there's no doubt they play an impactful role in it.
Head coaches always receive the lion's share of credit or blame for their team's performance, but the reality is that they need a rock-solid support system around them. Nori's loss could be a subtle one, but it's one that could impact the team negatively.
Pablo Prigioni feels like a prime internal candidate to help fill this void. Regardless, he's stepping into some big shoes with Nori.
The Wolves have bigger fish to fry than filling the void left behind by Nori, but his departure is a loss nonetheless.
Ultimately, you have to feel happy for Nori; it's long overdue that he earned a head coaching gig, but his loss could sting as the Wolves prepare for a crucial season.
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