Nate Bjorkgren’s coaching staff continues to take shape. In addition to former NBA big man Greg Foster, the Indiana Pacers are hiring long-time assistant Kaleb Canales, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Tellingly, Canales got his start in coaching with the Portland Trail Blazers back in 2008 during Kevin Pritchard’s tenure as General Manager, and even served as interim coach for 23 games in 2011-12 after Nate McMillan was fired, when Chad Buchanan was Acting GM.
Sharing his thoughts on Canales in an interview with David Aldridge in 2012, Pritchard described the now 42-year-old in nearly identical terms to Bjorkgren, who impressed the Pacers with his ability to push players while also knowing when “to put his arm around (them) and say, ‘We’ve got this.