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Jeff Van Gundy Blazers

The finalists for the vacant head coaching gig with the Portland Trail Blazers have been revealed as the team continues its job interviews.

According to Marc Stein, the three finalists for the job are interim Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter, Los Angeles Clippers lead assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy, and Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori.

“Minnesota’s Micah Nori is also a finalist for the Portland coaching vacancy, @TheSteinLine has learned. Nori, Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy are the known finalists,” Stein wrote on X.

The Case for Tiago Splitter

A former NBA center for the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, and Philadelphia 76ers from 2010 to 2017, Splitter became the first Brazilian-born NBA head coach when he took over the Blazers’ bench this season after Chauncey Billups was arrested following a federal gambling investigation. The Blazers gave the 41-year-old Splitter the keys to the team, and he returned the favor by leading the squad to a 42-39 record under his watch and making the playoffs in the Western Conference.

Despite his success in his rookie head coaching season, Splitter has not been given a vote of confidence by new Blazers owner Tom Dundon, at least not yet. While the Blazers were in the playoffs, Dundon was reportedly talking to other potential head coaching candidates, which is atypical of how NBA teams handle their business. There have been reports that the Blazers are lowballing Splitter for a new contract, and that could be why he hasn’t agreed to an extension yet to become the team’s full-time coach. That being said, he’s a finalist, so the team clearly has interest in bringing him back.

The Case for Jeff Van Gundy

The 64-year-old Jeff Van Gundy has been a head coach in the NBA twice, first with the New York Knicks from 1995 to 2002, and then with the Houston Rockets from 2003 to 2007. His career head coaching record is 430-318 (.575) in the regular season, and 44-44 (.500) in the postseason. He led the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1999, but the team lost 4-1 to the San Antonio Spurs.

Van Gundy is highly respected, highly liked, and very experienced. For the past two seasons, he has been the lead assistant coach for the Clippers under head coach Ty Lue, and his success with them could help get him a third head coaching job in the NBA.

The Case for Micah Nori

Finally, we have Nori, the lead assistant coach for the Timberwolves.

The 52-year-old Nori has been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2009, for the Toronto Raptors, the Sacramento Kings, the Denver Nuggets, the Detroit Pistons, and currently, the Timberwolves, as the lead assistant to Wolves head coach Chris Finch.

He is one of the most highly respected assistant coaches in the league, but for whatever reason, he has not landed a head-coaching job yet. Perhaps this will be the year that Nori gets his chance to be the main man behind an NBA bench, as the Blazers are considering hiring him.