{"id":106343,"date":"2024-11-11T23:33:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T04:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=106343"},"modified":"2024-11-11T23:33:29","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T04:33:29","slug":"blazers-best-head-coach-replacement-chauncey-billups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/11\/blazers-best-head-coach-replacement-chauncey-billups\/","title":{"rendered":"Blazers\u2019 Best Head Coach Replacement For Chauncey Billups"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Portland Trail Blazers aren\u2019t having fun, to say the least.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday night it wasn\u2019t a Bible being thumped but their team, as they lost by 45 points to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moranja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ja Morant<\/a>-less Memphis Grizzlies. Afterwards, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rosegardenreport.com\/p\/suddenly-the-trail-blazers-are-in\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lit into his team<\/a>, incensed by their lack of competitiveness. The only time Portland got fired up was when Grizzlies rookie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/edeyza01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Edey<\/a> blocked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bantoda01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dalano Banton<\/a>\u2019s shot at the end of the regulation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Dalano Banton didn&#8217;t appreciate Zach Edey blocking him in the final second of the Blazers&#8217; 45-point loss.<a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nCpM3ULxzN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/nCpM3ULxzN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ballislife\/status\/1855983570470518940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 11, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The problem is that this isn\u2019t even their worst loss under Billups. Just last season, they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder by 52 points in January. Then in March, the Miami Heat torched them for a 60-point (!!!) victory. They had four other losses with at least a 30-point margin in 2023-24.<\/p>\n<p>All of which is to say that while Billups was right to flame the Blazers in his postgame confidence, his already hot seat should be getting warm enough for an ejection. If that\u2019s the case, Portland will likely hire an interim coach from within as a stop-gap solution. However, there\u2019s at least one coach available who\u2019s not on their coaching staff who might be able to get their rebuild on track.<\/p>\n<h2>Will Weaver Is Blazers\u2019 Best Head Coach Replacement For Chauncey Billups<\/h2>\n<p>Last season, Will Weaver was an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets, but <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MikeAScotto\/status\/1786130537096139146\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">he wasn\u2019t retained<\/a> by Jordi Fernandez when he took over as head coach this summer. Given Fernandez\u2019s growing popularity, that might reflect poorly upon the Texas native. However, Weaver\u2019s body of work makes it clear that he was simply a victim of a regime change.<\/p>\n<h3>Weaving His Way Through The Ranks<\/h3>\n<p>Born in 1984, Weaver has extensive experience for his age. He began his career in the college system, as a graduate assistant for the Texas Longhorns under four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year award winner Rick Barnes. In that time, he was able to work with 14-time All-Star Kevin Durant, then a freshman at Texas. After graduating, Weaver then took a coaching role at Sam Houston State. There, he caught the eye of former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie.<\/p>\n<p>In his stint with the Sixers, they began the rebuild known as \u201cThe Process.\u201d Though they weren\u2019t exactly successful in those years, the foundation for what Philadelphia eventually became was laid there. In fact, Weaver was hired as a special assistant by the Brooklyn Nets in 2016 because of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/nets\/news\/2018\/07\/23\/will-weaver-ready-to-lead-long-island-nets\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">his experience with developing teams<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>After being hired, he reeled off a quote that spoke to his head coaching potential. Speaking of his role with the Nets, Weaver said he was \u201ctrying to connect all the different departments, work with the analytics team, work with the performance team, the scouts, trying to just collaborate\u2026 communicate better. And then also from a day-to-day standpoint\u2026 I try to help Kenny [Atkinson] make good decisions and help evaluate the way we go about managing in-game situations, which is a real passion of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A Pattern Of Success<\/h3>\n<p>Then came his breakthrough, as he was named the coach of the Nets\u2019 G League affiliate in 2018. After leading the Long Island Nets to a franchise-record 34 wins and a G League Finals appearance in his first season, he was named the <a href=\"https:\/\/pr.nba.com\/will-weaver-glcoach-of-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2019 G League Coach of the Year<\/a>. Notably, this is an award won by future NBA head coaches Quin Snyder, Nick Nurse, and Chris Finch.<\/p>\n<p>He was so impressive that he was named as the head coach of the NBL\u2019s Sydney Kings the next season. This wasn\u2019t this first experience Down Under. He was on the Australian national team\u2019s staff in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2016 Olympics. In his lone season with the Kings, they had the league\u2019s best regular season record but lost to the Perth Wildcats in the NBL Finals.<\/p>\n<p>When he came back stateside, he was interviewed for the Oklahoma City Thunder\u2019s head coaching vacancy. However, the Thunder opted to hire Mark Daigneault, who eventually won NBA Coach of the Year. As a result, he landed on the coaching staff of the Houston Rockets, yet another rebuilding team. After two seasons, he went to France to coach Paris Basketball in their first season in LNB Pro A.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, he\u2019s reportedly drawn interest from the Milwaukee Bucks (<a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/bob-myers-uncertain-warriors-future-wizards-general-manager-opening-remain-top-of-conversation-at-nba-draft-combine-144911608.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2023<\/a>), Toronto Raptors (<a href=\"https:\/\/hoopshype.com\/lists\/nba-intel-james-harden-doc-rivers-sixers-rockets-nets-frank-vogel\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2023<\/a>), and Charlotte Hornets (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.charlotteobserver.com\/sports\/charlotte-hornets\/article287240495.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2024<\/a>) for their head coaching vacancies.<\/p>\n<h3>Why He Fits The Blazers<\/h3>\n<p>Looking at his history, here\u2019s what sticks out about Weaver:<\/p>\n<p>1. His experience developing players and the programs<\/p>\n<p>2. His consistent and immediate success<\/p>\n<p>3. His willingness to take non-traditional paths<\/p>\n<p>For the Blazers, the first two points will matter the most. They\u2019ll want to achieve rapid success but to do it organically. There\u2019s always a chance that Portland could change course or accelerate their rebuild with a player transaction. However, they\u2019ll be developing internally for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n<p>His proven track record in helping to develop young players also inspires confidence in his ability to do what Billups couldn\u2019t. As a first-time head coach who had <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/15\/overcoming-adversity-chauncey-billups-inspiring-basketball-story-pistons\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">an outstanding NBA career<\/a>, it was thought that he could thrive at that task. That being said, multiple players <em>have<\/em> improved under Billups. The problem is simply that there hasn\u2019t been enough of it from <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/05\/should-blazers-trust-rebuild-trade-block\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">their most important pieces<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Weaver might be the Master Roshi to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hendesc01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scoot Henderson<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sharpsh01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shaedon Sharpe<\/a>\u2019s Goku and Krillin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Portland Trail Blazers aren\u2019t having fun, to say the least. On Sunday night it wasn\u2019t a Bible being thumped but their team, as they lost by 45 points to the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies. Afterwards, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups lit into his team, incensed by their lack of competitiveness. The only time Portland [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":106477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1608,62],"tags":[115,49804],"class_list":["post-106343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trailblazers","category-basketball","category-nba","tag-chauncey-billups","tag-will-weaver"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}