Since the Portland Trail Blazers The 2023-24 NBA season ended disappointingly for the Portland Trail Blazers. The team has started making coaching changes, but head coach Chauncey Billups has not been affected yet.
OregonLive.com reported that assistants Scott Brooks and Rodney Billups will not be offered contract renewals, and Steve Hetzel has taken a job with the Brooklyn Nets.
According to Chris Mannix of SI.com, NBA teams are keeping an eye on the situation, and Billups could soon become a candidate for other jobs. Billups has not been very successful as head coach, with a record of 81-165 in three seasons, while seeing Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Josh Hart, Jusuf Nurkic and others leave the team.
Independent Blazers journalist Sean Highkin noted, “Billups is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract without an extension. He stated at exit interviews that he wants to win, while Joe Cronin said developing is still the top priority, and has lost three assistants (including his brother) in the past month.”
Which Coaches Are in a Challenging Position?
The names that continue to come up are Monty Williams of the Detroit Pistons, Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls and more recently, Frank Vogel of the Phoenix Suns.
Detroit seems like a natural fit, as Billups was part of the 2003-04 NBA Championship team and the fans would welcome him. Having a roster full of young talent (led by 22-year-old Cade Cunningham) means there is an expectation of growth, and after losing 28 games in a row, there’s nowhere to go but up.
Chicago doesn’t include the playing ties, but it’s a situation with reasonable expectations and a modicum of proven talent on the roster. It’s not Donovan’s fault that Lonzo Ball continues to be out and Zach LaVine played in just 25 games last season, yet the team still made it to the NBA Play-In Tournament, defeating the Atlanta Hawks before losing to the Miami Heat.
Phoenix would be the most challenging task, with a win-now roster and very little financial flexibility. The trio of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker are coming off being swept by the rising Minnesota Timberwolves and fingers are being pointed in all directions as to where the blame belongs. Owner Mat Ishbia has expressed his desire to keep the team together, but often the coach is the first to go.
Should the Blazers Stay Put?
This is a difficult question because you might think Billups is a good coach and the team isn’t responding, or Billups is a bad coach and the team isn’t the problem. Either way, making a change is the quickest way to satisfy a fanbase that has endured its longest playoff drought (three seasons) since the Mo Cheeks/Nate McMillan transition.
Supporters of Billups can point to the astonishing fact that no Blazers player started more than 55 games in 2023-24 and a total of 18 different players found themselves in the starting lineup during the season. It is impossible to establish continuity and make an impact as a coach when dealing with a revolving door.
The roster is not expected to change soon, with Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Robert Williams III among the notables locked up for at least the next two seasons. Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe will have reasonably priced club options in 2025-26.
Portland has four picks (4th, 14th, 34th and 40th) in the 2024 NBA Draft (assuming odds hold up), giving a new head coach the chance to complete the roster as they prefer. If the Blazers want to make a change, they should do it now and let Billups get a fresh start elsewhere.
