Portland has finally hired a head coach, naming Micah Nori to lead the Trail Blazers. The deal is unusual by NBA standards, a one-year contract with team options for each of the next two seasons.
The move drew public criticism from Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the chairman of the coaches’ association. Bickerstaff said team owner Tom Dundon’s decision was exploitative and undermined the profession. “I understand his journey, he earned this job, but he is in a situation he should not have been in. They took advantage of him, it is like a slap in the face,” Bickerstaff said. He added that coaches sacrifice to reach this level, calling it disrespectful and “a slap in the face to our values,” while stressing that the league values quality coaching.
Rick Carlisle, the former head of the coaches’ association and now Indiana’s coach, defended Nori, saying he is “a great and respected coach” and that “his future is ahead of him.” Nori is taking his first NBA head-coaching job after years as an assistant, most recently with Minnesota.
The article notes that Nori accepted a contract below the NBA average salary, despite his long reputation around the league as a well-liked and respected assistant.
