Micah Nori is about to become a very familiar opponent for the Timberwolves.
After spending the last five seasons on Chris Finch’s staff in Minnesota, Nori landed his first head coaching job this offseason with the Portland Trail Blazers. The 52-year-old had already built a long résumé before that, working as an assistant for 12 years with four different NBA teams. He had interviewed for head coaching openings before, but Portland finally gave him the chair.
So far, the move looks justified. The Blazers are 6-1 and sit alongside the Philadelphia 76ers as the only teams with fewer than two losses.
Through seven games, they’ve outperformed expectations in a big way. According to Cleaning the Glass, Portland owns the league’s best offensive rating and third-best net rating, even with Shaedon Sharpe sidelined before the regular season and Ja Morant missing the last three games.
Minnesota won’t have to wait long to see what Nori’s team looks like up close. The Timberwolves are scheduled to face Portland three times in less than a month, starting with back-to-back home games on November 16 and 17 before heading to the Moda Center on December 1. Anthony Edwards is slated to miss all three of those matchups.
Portland’s record could look different by the time the teams meet in mid-November. The Blazers have five games ahead of that first matchup, and most of them are tough: two against the Oklahoma City Thunder, plus one each against the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. Sacramento is the only other opponent in that stretch.
There’s no bitterness attached to Nori’s departure from Minnesota. He earned the chance to run a team, and the Target Center crowd is expected to greet him warmly on November 16.
There is, though, a little contract uncertainty hanging over his new job. Nori’s deal runs three years, but Portland holds options for years two and three, leaving him in a somewhat shaky position.
J.B. Bickerstaff, president of the National Basketball Coaches Association, was openly critical of that setup.
The money on Nori’s contract was never disclosed, but he is expected to be among the league’s lowest-paid head coaches. Reports have also pointed to new Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon using penny-pinching methods with the franchise.
If Portland keeps winning, that may not matter much. Nori’s option for next season should be an easy call. And while Timberwolves fans will be pulling against him on November 16 and 17, they should still be happy to see him getting his shot.
In Other News...
Timberwolves May Have Dodged A Costly Giannis Mistake
The early returns in Miami have only sharpened the debate around a blockbuster move that once hovered over Minnesota. The Heat are off to a rough start after landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, while the Timberwolves took a different path and kept their roster intact enough to bring in LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga instead. For a team built around a certain style and balance, that kind of fork in the road matters, especially when the alternative would have meant reshaping the whole rotation around a singular star.
Minnesotas decision looks even smarter when you consider how steep the price tag reportedly was on the Bucks end. The package would have forced the Wolves to part with major pieces and draft capital, and there was always a real question about whether Antetokounmpos game would mesh cleanly with the roster already in place. The fit was never going to be simple, and with Miami now living through the growing pains, the Wolves can at least feel better about the road they did not take. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Face A Key Availability Issue Before Sunday Vs Jazz
Sundays matchup with the Jazz arrives with the Timberwolves already dealing with an injury report that deserves attention. Minnesota has four players listed, which adds another layer of uncertainty to a game that tips at 7 p.m. ET and could matter for a team trying to keep its rhythm intact as the schedule rolls on.
Utah has its own health questions to manage, with Jusuf Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr. both appearing on the report. Between the availability concerns on both sides and the statistical leaders and team metrics that frame this meeting, the game has the feel of one where the final rotation choices could shape how it plays out long before the opening tip. [Read more 🡒]
Cody Williams Suddenly Faces A Tough Timberwolves Rotation Reality
Cody Williams first real look with Minnesota was brief, and it did not do much to change the picture around the rookie wing. In limited minutes against the Bucks, he was quiet offensively and the Timberwolves were outscored with him on the floor, a reminder that even a team dealing with injuries still has to sort through who can actually crack the rotation.
The more interesting part came afterward, when Minnesota kept searching for answers on the bench and still did not turn to Williams in the next stretch of games. With other reserves getting the opportunity to soak up minutes, his path has suddenly become a tougher one to read, especially with the Wolves continuing to juggle their depth and decide which young players are ready for a larger role. [Read more 🡒]