Name: Joe Prunty
Position: Assistant coach
Years with team: 2
Years in NBA: 14
His job: “There’s this tendency to think, well, a guy’s an offensive guy or a defensive guy or he’s a scout. … I pride myself on being able to step into whatever role is needed. So, if it’s that time to do (scouting), then I’m breaking down film. I’m more than happy to work out with guys before games. … To me, when you’re a coach in the NBA, it’s not like football. It’s not specialized. I pride myself to be able to provide as much as I can in whatever aspect available.”
Joining the Blazers: “I was in San Antonio for nine years, and then I went to Dallas for the last three. (Assistant coach) Monty Williams had played in San Antonio and coached there. (General manager) Kevin (Pritchard) had spent some time there. So, I knew some of the guys here.”
Best part of his job: “Just everyday being in basketball. I don’t want to say it’s the toy department. But we get to coach basketball; we get to be around great people. And, for me, that’s the blessing. … You can go on and on, up and down the list, of quality basketball players that are quality people. Forget your industry or whatever. If you work with the greatest scientist in the world, and he’s a great person, how great is that?”
— Brian T. Smith
