Mike Brown may finally have his full coaching staff for next season in place. Longtime NBA assistant Chris Jent, who’s currently with the Charlotte Hornets, is now considered the leading candidate to join the New York Knicks as their offensive coordinator, according to league insider Frank Isola.
You might remember Jent from his days as LeBron James’ “personal shot tutor” during the four-time MVP’s first go-round with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two developed what appeared to be a nice rapport. LeBron trusted him so much that he had Jent travel with him to work on his shooting following his lamentable shooting performance in the 2007 NBA Finals.
This comes on the heels of chatter that Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Brendan O’Connor is nearing a deal to become The Mecca’s defensive coordinator. Isola was among the first with that news as well, which suggests that Jent landing in New York is a done deal.
The 55-year-old is essentially a sideline-lifer. He has worked consistently on NBA benches since 2003-04, and is easily the Hornets’ most experienced assistant under head coach Charles Lee. He’s also no stranger to working with Mike Brown.
Chris Jent and Mike Brown have worked together before
Prior to joining Charlotte’s staff last season, Jent spent two years under Darvin Ham with the Los Angeles Lakers. Before that, he was with the Atlanta Hawks for a half-decade, serving under Mike Budenholzer, Lloyd Pierce, and Nate McMillan.
Going back even further, his NBA stops also include two years with the Sacramento Kings during the Michael Malone era, two years with the Orlando Magic, and one year with the Philadelphia 76ers
More notably, though, Jent spent four seasons on Brown’s Cavaliers staff during the LeBron era, from 2006-07 through 2009-10. He remained in Ohio for an additional season after both Brown and LeBron left, working under Byron Scott for the 2010-11 campaign.
Most recently, Jent was responsible for coaching the Hornets to the Las Vegas Summer League championship. It can be difficult to infer big-picture principles from this type of setting, but Charlotte’s squad jacked threes in a way that aligns with Jent’s reputation as a coach who emphasizes shooting development. Five members of the Vegas Hornets attempted at least five three-pointers per game, and three jacked at least seven.
The Knicks’ coaching staff is finally nearing completion
After encountering a handful of rejections, Mike Brown’s coaching staff finally seems to be nearing completion.
Jent and O’Connor give the Knicks their offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively. Rick Brunson, father of the NBA’s biggest bargain Jalen Brunson, is expected to remain on the staff as well, albeit in a smaller role than he had with the since-fired Tom Thibodeau. New York also added Charles Allen and Riccardo Fois, both of whom worked with Brown while he captained the Sacramento Kings.
Other additions or changes could still follow. But the meat and potatoes of the Knicks’ support system look like they’re locked in.