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The Knicks will at times be without an integral member of the coaching staff.
Assistant coach Chris Jent will be away from the team for an undisclosed period of time for personal reasons, The Post has learned. He is expected to miss games in the near future but the situation is fluid.
Jent — the associate head coach who is in charge of the offense — was not on the bench for the second and third games of the season, missing losses to the Celtics in Boston and Magic at Madison Square Garden. He will not be with the team during Tuesday night’s game against the Pistons at MSG either, according to league sources.
Assistant T.J. Saint filled his role on the front of the bench during those two games and was seen with a clipboard leading huddles during timeouts. Saint was the Knicks’ Summer League coach this year and will continue to be on the front of the bench for games that Jent misses, according to league sources.
Jent, 56, was present for the Knicks’ season-opening loss to the 76ers at MSG and was part of the team’s championship ceremony before the game.
He is one of the most respected assistants across the league and was instrumental in the change to the Knicks’ offensive scheme after falling behind to a 2-1 series deficit to the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs last year. He helped implement a system that featured Karl-Anthony Towns as a “hub” at the elbows, which created better shots for Jalen Brunson, brought out the best in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges and helped fuel the team’s championship run.
This is Jent’s second season as an assistant with the Knicks after head coach Mike Brown brought him in as part of his staff last year. Jent interviewed for the Blazers’ head coach opening this past offseason, though Brown thought he should have been an even bigger head coaching candidate.
“He’s been around for a long time,” Brown said after the Knicks won the championship. “Somebody needs to give him an interview because he’ll help your team win at the highest level.”
Jent had a brief 18-game stint as the Magic’s interim head coach to end the 2004-05 season. Otherwise, he’s been an NBA assistant coach for 18 seasons for eight different teams – the 76ers, Magic, Cavaliers, Kings, Hawks, Lakers, Hornets and Knicks.
A former Ohio State star as a player, Jent had a brief NBA playing career — including playing three games with the Knicks during the 1996-97 season. He was also part of the Rockets’ championship team in 1993-94. He spent most of his playing career overseas.
He previously worked on Brown’s staff with the Cavs, where he garnered praise from LeBron James as his personal shooting coach. Jent and LeBron later reunited with the Lakers.
Jent has a wealth of knowledge that is highly valued throughout the Knicks organization.
They’ll at times have to find a way to replace that.