Interim Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter is leaning on lessons from his former mentor, Gregg Popovich, as he guides Portland through an unexpected transition.
“The way he treats people makes you feel like you’re part of a family,” the 41-year-old said of Popovich, who retired last May as the NBA’s all-time wins leader after steering the Spurs to five championships and six Finals appearances over 29 seasons. Splitter, a 2014 title winner in San Antonio, stressed that involving every player—“from one to 18 on the roster”—is the biggest takeaway he brought from the Hall of Fame coach.
Despite stabilizing the club under “difficult and extraordinary circumstances,” reports indicate Splitter is not guaranteed the full-time post once Portland’s search begins in earnest after the season.
Nuggets Monitor Hamstring Strains
Denver coach David Adelman tempered optimism about his injured forwards on Friday, noting that Spencer Jones now has a better shot at playing in Saturday’s Game 1 against Minnesota than fellow swingman Peyton Watson. Both are nursing right hamstring strains; Watson has been sidelined since April 1, while Jones went down on March 29.
Thunder Players Laud Daigneault’s Growth
After winning last season’s championship, Oklahoma City again posted the league’s best record in 2025/26 under Mark Daigneault. Though he may fall short of the Coach of the Year finalist list, veterans such as Alex Caruso and rising star Jalen Williams said the third-year bench boss keeps pushing for incremental gains. “The margins are small,” Caruso explained, “but I think he’s done a great job of searching for [improvement] and pushing us.”
Hardy Poised for Louder Voice in Utah
After four seasons steering a rebuilding roster, Jazz coach Will Hardy is expected to show a more intense side in 2026/27. Guard Keyonte George predicted a “lot of screaming and yelling” as Utah moves out of its long-term tanking phase, saying the fiery approach “is gonna make us great.”
All four Northwest Division teams now face pivotal off-seasons that could reshape their coaching dynamics—and, in Denver’s case, their immediate playoff fortunes.
Source: Hoops Rumors
