3. Micah Nori, Minnesota Timberwolves
Similarly unknown to the casual NBA fan until a week ago, Micah Nori burst onto the scene recently as he stepped in as the interim head coach on the sidelines during Chris Finch's injury. Finch, who tore his patellar tendon during the playoffs, left playcalling duties to Nori for the second round of the playoffs.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had two ridiculously impressive showings against the Nuggets in Denver with Nori in charge. Minnesota completely overwhelmed the Nuggets, continuing their unbeaten streak in the postseason. This brought Nori a ton of national attention.
Even though Nori has never been a head coach, he has extensive experience as an assistant. At age 50, he has been an assistant in the NBA since 2009, working for the Raptors, Kings, Nuggets, and the Pistons before being hired in Minnesota.
In fact, he met Chris Finch during his time with the Nuggets when they were both assistant coaches. Nori and Finch are usually credited for Nikola Jokic's development and the elite offense the Nuggets built with him at the center.
Nori is also a fan favorite in Minnesota. He is regularly breaking down the game on Timberwolves' broadcasts, and has gained notoriety for his metaphors at halftime interviews.
Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori reminded NBA fans of ‘Ted Lasso’ with his creative halftime metaphorshttps://t.co/pL2GUom8hY
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow)December 20, 2023
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