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Tiago Splitter’s rough Bulls debut makes Blazers’ Micah Nori move look even better

The Blazers and Bulls were on opposite sides of blowouts on Wednesday, showing Portland was right to replace Tiago Splitter with Micah Nori.

By Reese Kunz · Rip City Project

Published: Thursday, 22 October 2026 at 11:12 PM

Key Things to Know

Writer Reese Kunz argues Portland's decision to hire Micah Nori over Tiago Splitter was vindicated by Wednesday's season openers.
Micah Nori led the Trail Blazers to a 124-83 blowout victory against the Phoenix Suns in his debut.
Tiago Splitter's Chicago Bulls suffered a heavy 135-92 defeat against the Toronto Raptors in their opener.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Rip City Project's Reese Kunz argues that the Portland Trail Blazers made the right move replacing head coach Tiago Splitter with Micah Nori. The contrasting season openers on Wednesday saw Splitter's Chicago Bulls suffer a 135-92 blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors, while Nori led the Blazers to a dominant 124-83 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

While Splitter helped guide Portland to the playoffs with a 42-40 record following Chauncey Billups' departure, Kunz believes Nori provides a higher ceiling. The writer contends that Nori's tactical adjustments and offensive structure give the Blazers realistic hopes of reaching their ambitious goal of winning 50 or more games this season.

Read the full article on Rip City Project

Tiago Splitter’s rough Bulls debut makes Blazers’ Micah Nori move look even better

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