Author: rb809rb

The NBA coaching carousel was active this offseason, with six teams bringing in new voices to lead their squads.

This group includes three former NBA head coaches aiming for new heights with new franchises this season: Taylor Jenkins in Milwaukee, Jamahl Mosley in New Orleans and Tiago Splitter in Chicago.

Before they open their first training camps with their respective teams, here’s a look at what the three returning head coaches are focused on this season.

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Taylor Jenkins, Milwaukee Bucks

After a six-year run with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2019-25, which included three playoff appearances, Jenkins spent the past year focused on growth in both his personal and professional life — balancing time with his family and staying engaged in the game.

Through training camp visits to conversations with fellow coaches on Zoom throughout the season, Jenkins examined new trends across the league and evaluated new philosophies he could incorporate into his next opportunity, which begins in Milwaukee as he leads a new era of Bucks basketball.

Jenkins on joining a Bucks team in transition after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade:

“Great opportunity. Obviously, so much great history with Giannis there and with Bobby as well. Championship standards. It’s culture. It’s identity. It’s been done at a very high level in Milwaukee for a really long time. Now we’ve got new faces. We got new individuals, we got new coaches, we got new players, new staff throughout the organization in different departments as well. Just really trying to rally together and figure out like ‘Who do we want to be?’”

On how Tyler Herro can lead the Bucks offense:

“As an opposing coach for many years, you see his growth, what he can do on the offensive side, the creativity. We talk about in our system, how we create advantages and how we can maintain advantages. He’s going to be a guy that we’re going to lean into to create advantages for us early in possessions. Obviously, with his ball handling ability and pick-and-roll ability, but then his shooting ability by moving off the ball. Just even watching him last year and kind of tapping into that film, knowing that he’s now on our roster, I can see him fitting in with a lot of the philosophical things we’re trying to do on the offensive side.”

On Jaime Jaquez and Kel’el Ware’s development:

“With Jaime, his ability to create advantages, get downhill, be a playmaker, see plays before they even happen, we can put him on different spots of the floor, whether it’s on the perimeter, elbow, mid post, face up, back to the basket. He plays team ball. He’s able to score, but also can really set up his teammates. Great cutter off the ball. He’s just got so many intangibles on both sides of the floor that I’m excited to tap into, and he’s ready to take another step, even on the defensive side, and have his shooting take another jump as well, which we’re going to need.

“With Kel’el, you just see this guy that’s about to take a huge jump, in my opinion. Obviously, he’s got amazing athletic ability. He’s got an extreme care factor. All these guys that we have now coming in the fold have an extreme care factor, a work ethic. But what he can do to be an anchor for us defensively, a guy that can play both on the interior and the perimeter defensively.”

On the potential of No. 10 pick Brayden Burries:

“Super excited about Brayden. He’s just got this quiet, humble, competitive tone to him. I’m still learning the kid, and he’s all about the right things. I mean, unbelievable character. It’s going to be an unbelievable culture fit for us. But you saw what he did in Summer League. I mean, just his poise, poise under pressure, ability to be a playmaker. People had questions about is he a true point guard? I think he’s going to be a lead creator for us. He’s going to be able to set up his teammates. He’s going to be able to score. He’s going to be able to kind of set the table a little bit.”

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Jamahl Mosley, New Orleans Pelicans

During his five-season stint in Orlando, Mosley developed a young Magic team that won just 22 games in his first season to three consecutive 40-plus win seasons and playoff appearances (albeit first-round exits) to close his tenure.

Exactly two weeks after being let go by Orlando, he was hired by New Orleans. Once again, he is tasked with taking a young team coming off a win total in the 20s, building a winning culture and elevating them into a playoff contender.

Mosley on what he takes from his experience in Orlando:

“They’re all learning lessons. I’m so grateful for the opportunity I had in Orlando for five years because watching those guys grow, how the organization grew, you’re able to take some of those things from there and apply it to your situation. Things that went well, how you played in the regular season, what the defense did, the communications, the relationships you had with each person, they help you grow into the next situation because you should see things, some things that you want to look at, and some things that you would change.”

On his expectations for Zion Williamson:

“Coaching against him from afar, just his ability to get downhill, attack the basket, finish and touch over 3s and 2s at the rim, and doing it with force. What he and I talked about and the vision for him is you know continuing that, but then to expand his game, you know to be able to step in when teams are going under, when they’re shrinking the floor, and sitting in the paint, pulling up for that mid-range. And then the other side of it is taking on defensive challenges. He’s too gifted, too athletic, too strong, too with a high basketball IQ to not be able to defend some of the best players in this league.“

On his excitement to coach Trey Murphy III:

“Extremely. We went out to L.A. and worked out with him a little bit. I know my defense on some of the clips weren’t as great as it should have been. He’s worked out a ton to get physically bigger. He understands the game, studies the game; he and I looked at some clips together to understand exactly how we can be used within our offense. But then also, again, taking that challenge on defensively, he has all the tools. He has the gifts. He’s got a great basketball IQ, and he cares deeply about being great, and I think him doing that, excels our team to another level.”

On the development of rising sophomores Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears:

“With Derik, the work he’s put in this summer to get his mind and his body in a good space. He spent time with DeAndre Jordan out in L.A. He’s been working on the small aspects of the game, the little details, the fundamentals. He’s not going to blow you away with speed or athleticism, but he’s got an unbelievable IQ. His passing, his feel for the game, his reading of the game – he does a great job there. And now his will and his want to be great is even stepping up even further.

“Then Jeremiah Fears. I know everybody says it on the broadcast, you hear him talk about his name stands for itself. Like he is fearless, and what I love most about him is that he is a worker like no other. He takes in information, he listens, he studies the game, he reads the game. He wants to be great, and he’s willing to do whatever necessary to be great to help the team win.”

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Tiago Splitter, Chicago Bulls

Micah Nori inherits the Portland squad that Splitter led last season on an interim basis, taking over after the first game of the season. In his first NBA head coaching stint, Splitter led the Blazers to a 42-40 record and a playoff berth in the Western Conference.

Now, Splitter takes over a team in Chicago that is building around its young talent, led by this year’s No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson. Splitter enters his first training camp and preseason as a head coach.

Splitter on the biggest influence shaping his view of winning basketball:

“I have different coaches that helped me throughout my career as a player internationally and, of course, in the NBA. Probably the guy that you guys know the most is [Gregg Popovich]. I played five years for him, where he really taught me how to to become a professional player in the NBA, but also competing at the highest level you know I could be. So, I learned a lot from him.”

On what a Tiago Splitter Bulls team will look like:

“Hopefully everybody sees it as this team’s going to compete every night. We’re gonna bring the juice every night. We’re gonna try to do the right things and play the right way, and we’re going to develop. That’s a big part of this young team — see Caleb getting better, Matas (Buzelis) getting better, the whole roster getting better. This is big for us.”

On his excitement to draft and coach Wilson:

“We were super excited to get him. Since he came here and his visit was phenomenal, like just connecting with him on the court, off the court, and then I think we don’t know who Caleb Wilson is yet. That’s the intriguing part, that the exciting part about it, because you know he played one way in high school, he played a different way in college, and Summer League he was a different player. He just keeps evolving to a different beast, and that’s how we see it. And we want to give him the help he needs to flourish.”

On pairing Wilson with third-year wing Matas Buzelis and their development:

“We got a lot of size in those positions, and athleticism as well. I think Matas is still evolving as a player. He’s still figuring out who he’s going to be, and you know sky is the limit for these guys, and we got to push them, create those standards. I think the most important thing is how we set the tone and create those daily standards for them.”

On Josh Giddey orchestrating the team:

“He’s a very cerebral player. We were able to connect early and talk about basketball throughout the summer … We created that connection, and it’s gonna be great for the young guys to have Josh leading them in terms of passing the ball, pushing the pace, finding easy shots, easy cuts, for those players.”

On the veteran additions of Norman Powell and Nic Claxton:

“I think they were great, they both fill a positional need that this young core needed. A guy like Norm that can score in different ways, and Nic Claxton just running the floor and being that anchor on defense is something that we needed for this roster, part of the developing of this young team.”