Splitter expertly navigated a challenging season. Now, with a full offseason, Portland eyes him for a lasting coaching future, balancing continuity and ambition.
Among the many decisions the Portland Trail Blazers will have to make this offseason, the franchise’s long-term head coach should be near the top of the priority list.
After Tiago Splitter stepped in following the Chauncey Billups situation, all signs point to him being a very capable head coach. Ultimately, the Blazers exceeded expectations this season, and the roster seemingly bought into his approach. When you consider the way Portland overperformed, even without Splitter having a full offseason to implement his own schemes, build out his staff’s vision and fully prepare as the head coach from day one, he deserves a lot of credit for how the season unfolded.
It’s not easy to spend an entire offseason with a roster and system primarily built under a different head coach, then take over and keep things moving with only slight tweaks along the way. That’s why it’s fair to wonder what Splitter could do with an entire offseason knowing he’s the one at the helm. With a full summer to make changes, establish his own philosophy and put his imprint on this team, Portland could be even better next season, especially now that he has playoff experience under his belt as a head coach.
That’s what makes this situation so interesting.
There have been reports that new Blazers owner Tom Dundon is looking to keep costs low when it comes to the franchise’s next long-term head coach. Splitter also reportedly coached this season on what was essentially an elevated assistant coach salary, with the offer to continue in the role coming in far below the standard NBA head coaching rate.
Still, there’s no reason to think Splitter can’t be the coach of the future in Portland. That’s not to say the Blazers shouldn’t consider other options or interview outside candidates. Any franchise going through a major decision like this should do its due diligence. But from a continuity standpoint, Splitter has already proven quite a bit.
Bringing in an outside coach would come with risk. It could disrupt what Portland started to build this season, force the players to adjust to a new voice and potentially create a step back after a year in which the Blazers clearly found something that worked. Splitter already has relationships in the building, already understands the roster and already helped guide this group through an unusual season.
That’s why this is shaping up to be one of the biggest storylines of Portland’s summer. It’s not only about whether Splitter gets the job on a permanent basis, but also how Dundon approaches the financial side of a decision that could shape the next stage of the franchise.
For now, though, there’s no reason to believe Splitter wouldn’t be a strong long-term option for the Trail Blazers. Given what he helped accomplish under difficult circumstances, he’s earned serious consideration to continue leading this team on a full-time basis.