After finishing last season with a 21-61 record, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups entered 2024-25 as one of three coaches on the hot seat, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic.
The Blazers have had a few embarrassing performances this year where a coach on the hot seat could have been let go on the spot, most notably the Nov. 10 game against Memphis, where they lost by 45, and the Dec. 6 loss to Utah, a 42-point blowout.
But, halfway through the season, it's becoming more apparent that Portland could be content letting Billups finish up the season regardless of the on-court product or key decisions being made. Billups' contract is set to expire after this season. He does have a fifth-year option for next year, but it would be surprising if he was back coaching the team next season.
As a team with no playoff aspirations, Portland doesn't want to fire Billups and have to be on the books for two coaches while the other finishes the season. The Blazers are also 14-28 and aren't talented enough on paper to make the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference, regardless of who is coaching. But it's gotten to the point where being frugal and keeping Billups around to finish the season negatively affects their long-term trajectory.
The Trail Blazers should let Chauncey Billups go
Billups recently brought Shaedon Sharpe off the bench in their win over Chicago, citing accountability reasons because his defensive focus was lacking.
"He's struggled a bit at it. And when he's struggling, there needs to be consequences for that. With all of my guys, I tell them all, I'm not actually taking you out of the lineup. I'm just the messenger. You are. It's not me. I do that with all of my guys; it is no different with nobody... it's all in his hands, it's not mine," said Billups.
That decision to bench Sharpe was surprising, and one not many Blazers fans likely agree with. But it highlights a more significant organizational issue. The players are expected to be held accountable. At the same time, Billups can essentially do no wrong and finish out the season because Portland wants to cut a few corners. Billups said it himself -- there must be consequences when you're struggling.
The Blazers are winning more games than last season, sure. However, Billups' coaching strategy contradicts what GM Joe Cronin said was the goal this year: gaining more roster clarity. The Blazers head into the Feb. 6 trade deadline with more questions than answers, mainly because of how Billups has approached the roster, frequently prioritizing veterans over youth development.
Although it's a small sample size, it's no coincidence that two of Scoot Henderson's best games were under Nate Bjorkgren. Henderson is finally breaking out of his shell with Billups, averaging 25.3 points and 7.8 assists in the past four games. But he should have had this opportunity to bloom the entire season with an increased role and rotations built to his strengths.
There's no reason for Sharpe not to start or Henderson to play less than 30 minutes a game. You're in the second year of a rebuild, and these are your recent top ten picks that you should focus on. Otherwise, what's this all for?
You could make a case that the Blazers' veterans needed to play to increase their trade value before the deadline, but that had the opposite effect. Besides Robert Williams III, almost every Blazers trade candidate, specifically their three starters -- Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, Anfernee Simons -- are having down seasons. Part of that is on Billups as well.
The offense is incredibly stagnant and doesn't emphasize ball or player movement enough. That leaves players like Grant, Ayton, and Simons oftentimes trying to do too much to make something happen in isolation situations. They are all solid players and capable of doing this occasionally, but it should be out of desperation with the shot clock winding down, not a focal point of the offense.
The first half of the season for Portland has been disappointing overall in terms of setting themselves up for the future. Veterans decreased their trade value, their young core hasn't shown significant or consistent growth, and they currently only have a 7.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Portland's reluctance to part with Billups is leading them closer to "no man's land" rather than a team fully embracing their rebuild, and it's setting the franchise back.