Blazers quiet on coach search

TUALATIN, Ore. — Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey asserted Monday that when it comes to the team’s coaching search, most of it is going to play out “behind closed doors,” which of course means the media will have to do some reading between the lines.

And if there was any thing to decode recently, it may be that Kaleb Canales is not quite the “in-house” favorite Olshey declared him to be when took the job earlier this month.

Olshey didn’t speak specifically, but he did say Monday that the search would be “exhaustive” and that there are “guys we’re targeting.”

Could Canales be one of those guys? Sure.

But while much of the public may have thought this anyway, it doesn’t quite appear to be his job to lose.

Still, Canales was in the team’s practice facility Monday for another pre-draft workout, although the group included no potential first-round picks.

Participating were Kim English (6-6, Missouri), Scott Machado (6-1, Iona), Kyle O’Quinn (6-10, Norfolk State), Henry Sims (6-10, Georgetown), Maalik Wayns (6-2, Villanova), and Charlie Westbrook (6-4, South Dakota). Olshey did say, however, that there would be potential lottery picks in the building Wednesday.

In the meantime, Blazers coaches and executives got to evaluate O’Quinn, who listed LaMarcus Aldridge as his favorite player. Asked if he tries to copy his game after the All-Star, O’Quinn answered, “he’s my favorite player. Of course I’m trying to copy him.”

Sims, meanwhile, didn’t reveal any players whom he tries to emulate, but did say that Portland seemed like an enjoyable town … based on the shopping center near his hotel in Tigard.

“Based on that one-mile radius, it seems like a fun city,” he said.