After changing head coaches in two straight offseasons, the Detroit Pistons finally have some continuity under J.B. Bickerstaff. Following an impressive 30-win improvement from a season ago, Bickerstaff's future in Detroit is secure.
Not every team is as lucky, however. The Phoenix Suns fired their third head coach in three years this spring, parting ways with Mike Budenholzer after failing to make the playoffs. Ever since former Pistons head coach Monty Williams left Phoenix, things haven't worked out in Phoenix.
Former Pistons Assistant Micah Nori Among Leading Suns Head Coaching Candidates
Now that the Suns are looking for their next head coach, a former Pistons assistant has emerged as a potential frontrunner. Micah Nori, who was the head assistant in Detroit under Dwane Casey between 2018 and 2021, is among the leading candidates for the job in Phoenix, per The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin.
Nori is reportedly competing with Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, Cavs assistants Jordan Ott and Johnnie Bryant, OKC assistant Dave Bliss, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Pelicans assistant James Borrego, Mavs assistant Sean Sweeney, and Suns assistant David Fizdale. With a large pool of candidates, Nori is obviously nowhere near guaranteed to land the gig.
However, this follows a positive trend in Nori's career. He has been an assistant coach under Chris Finch with the Minnesota Timberwolves since the 2021-22 season and has made a name for himself as one of the best assistant coaches in the league. His name has been circulated around the league for potential head coaching vacancies for the last couple of years, following Minnesota's continued success in the Western Conference.
Nori has garnered a reputation for his humorous sideline interviews during the Timberwolves games. Considered the right-hand man of Finch, the 51-year-old coach stepped up in last year's playoffs when Finch suffered a patellar tendon injury during a game.
What the future holds for the former Pistons coach remains to be seen, but it's clear that he is on the right trajectory to be a head coach in the NBA sooner rather than later.