IN a move that shouldn't be overlooked, the Cavaliers retained key assistant coaches from the Mike Brown ear, a move that means more than meets the eye. Of course, Brian Windhorst is all over the reasons, especially why it was so important to keep Chris Jent, who has quickly become LeBron James personal shooting coach-
Jent, who does have some limited head coaching experience after filling in as an interim coach with the Orlando Magic in 2005, has developed a very strong reputation as James" personal shooting coach. Depending on how things play out, if James re-signs with the Cavs there is good chance Jent would remain with the team.
James and Jent became close during the 2006-07 season when Jent in charge of the Cavs" player development program. Over the past three summers, Jent and James have traveled the world together so that James could continue to work on shooting no matter where his commitments took him. Jent has even gone on vacations with James, a guest on his private jet.
During that time, James" shooting improved and Jent's responsibilities under Brown increased. He was promoted to a full assistant last year and began taking on more in-game and scouting work and moved to the bench from behind the bench, a key promotion in the NBA.
As a trusted coach who knows James personality and work habits well, there is a good chance Jent will be a desired assistant no matter what team James decides to sign with.
Brendan Malone and Melvin Hunt were also retained, a sign that the Cavaliers see them as long-term members of the organization.
All three coaches are talented, and most importantly, they have the trust and respect of the players in the locker room - something that is going to be very important in the weeks and months ahead.