The Portland Trail Blazers are a rebuilding team, but fans feel there should be promising developments by now. Chauncey Billups has been in charge of the rebuilding Blazers for four seasons. But, they have been struggling for his entire stint. Rip City’s fans see Portland’s issues, and many feel the rebuilding Blazers can improve. It can happen with a new coach if they fire Chauncey Billups sometime in the 2024-25 season.
Should the Trail Blazers Fire Chauncey Billups?
He joined to help get Portland over the line and help Damian Lillard and co. compete for a championship. Unfortunately, Blazers fans have realized he is not the right man for the head coach job. They see Portland’s issues starting with him, leading to more people wanting the team to fire Billups.
Portland’s Issues with Billups as the Head Coach
Since Portland is a team on a rebuild, the focus should always be developing the young players. The coach must adhere to the player’s strengths and help them grow. Through four seasons of having Billups as the head coach, he has a shaky record with young players.
The biggest issue Blazers fans have is his coaching of Scoot Henderson. The 20-year-old athletic point guard is a high-level playmaker but plays mostly off the ball under Chauncey. That is not the optimal way to play Henderson because he needs the ball to make the necessary plays. It does not mean Scoot has to always play with the ball in his hands.
Creating a system that maximizes the young players on the team is better for the long-term future. It also does not help Billups’ case when he does not have many imaginative offensive sets. Most of the rebuilding Blazers’ offense relies on dribble hand-offs and isolation plays. That won’t work because the team needs an identity on that side of the game.
Chauncey’s rotations are also a problem because he is running suboptimal lineups. Scoot and Anfernee Simons are good players, but they are both ball-handlers. Anfernee is a reliable off-ball player, but putting Henderson off the ball removes his strengths. This stretches into the team with players like Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant getting in the way of others. They are also talented, but having Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan coming off the bench is counterproductive. Portland’s issues go beyond the head coach, especially with the lackluster roster construction.
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Billups is a Remnant from the Blazers’ Previous Regime
Hiring Billups was not General Manager Joe Cronin’s decision because he was not in the job yet in 2021. Former GM Neil Olshey made the call to hire one of his former players during his Los Angeles Clippers days. This split the Blazers fan base because many wanted to sever ties with former head coach Terry Stotts. The other group wanted Olshey out because of his questionable decisions.
Billups was initially a good idea because Lillard loved having a former Finals MVP point guard leading the charge. Many ignored the issues including Chauncey’s only coaching experience being an assistant coach for the Clippers in the 2020-21 season. Another issue is Billups’ 1997 legal issues, which resurfaced during the hiring process.
Chauncey promised a more defensive approach for Portland, which left Dame to pick up the pieces. Olshey tried to make it work, but the roster lacked the talent to compete. It also did not help that the Blazers fired Neil for creating a toxic environment within the organization. This led to Cronin taking over and realizing the team was flawed, kicking off a rebuild.
Since Billups was never a Cronin hire, there is a fundamental disconnect between the two figures. Chauncey has always been on a five-year deal with Portland, with the fifth season being a team option. This has led to valuable discourse within the fan base on whether firing Chauncey Billups is right.
I don’t think I dealt him a great hand this season. I didn’t do him any favors with the lack of depth heading into the season. – Cronin on Billups
At least Cronin actually owns up to his mistakes unlike Olshey. Now it’s time to execute and make things happen this summer
— 🅵🅾🆁🆃🅷🅴🅵🅰🅽🆂 🎙 (@503Blazerfans) April 9, 2023
The Blazers Can Afford Running Out Billups’ Contract
Even if the fans want to fire Billups, the front office will likely stick with him through the 2024-25 season. The team option should make it a more amicable parting of ways because a firing would be a burned bridge. Of course, there are already a few candidates for the job, especially with the recent Mike Brown firing in Sacramento.
By waiting until the summer of 2025, Portland can have more time to assess the candidates to replace Billups. Many viable candidates including assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren are available for the job. Bjorkgren was excellent in the two games he took over during Billups’ time away due to a family tragedy.
The former Indiana Pacers head coach had Scoot playing at the highest level as the primary playmaker. Henderson even hit a game-winner to beat the Utah Jazz. It was a glimpse into the 20-year-old’s full potential under a coach that fits him better. Firing Chauncey Billups will likely not happen. However, the Blazers will probably not renew his deal. Portland has a bright future, including a new leader taking charge and becoming Cronin’s hand-picked head coach.
