Blazers reach out to Chauncey Billups

[Natebishop3]

I think I said this in one of the Damian Lillard draft threads ... Billups is basically exactly the guy I think of when I think about a point guard with a sweet shot, but a lot of savvy, probably Lillard's ceiling if he's able to make the transition.

And that's a great ceiling to have.

 

[Nikolokolus]

And that's a great ceiling to have.

Yeah it really is. Now I have no idea if Lillard is going to be the defender that Chauncey was, and that's going to be pretty critical if you're talking about comparing the players, but if he's all that he's supposed to be cracked up to be as a shooter and pick and roll operator and if he can make good decisions finding LaMarcus and his shooters instead of trying to take a lot of hero shots, he can be a damned good player. Worst case he's going to be just another short shooting guard masquerading as a point ... I guess we're going to find out one way or another.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Blazers don't have the MLE, they will get the new room exemption for teams under the cap. It will only be $2.5 million. Billups has talked a lot about how much he likes the Clippers now and likes playing with Paul. It will be interesting if Olshey can convince him to come here.

I will say now if Olshey can get Hibbert and Billups and retain Batum along with the draft picks that is about as good an offseason as Portland could realisticly expect for both short and long term success. Still lots of "ifs" in there but he will have done some real work in his first month on the job.

Just for the record, it's theoretically possible for the blazers to use the $3 Mil they'll have during the 3-day window, and then
have $2.5 Mil New Room Exception, too for yet another player.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I've long since grown tired of the bitching around here about not having a GM, but...

Now that we have one (apparently with both charm and big balls), I'm kinda happy.

 

[illmatic99]

Am I the only one who hates Billups' game? His pullup threes early in the shot clock, with guys draped all over him are momentum killers. In theory, he'd be a nice mentor for Dame, but I just dont' see it.

 

[MickZagger]

Am I the only one who hates Billups' game?

I think so.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Am I the only one who hates Billups' game? His pullup threes early in the shot clock, with guys draped all over him are momentum killers. In theory, he'd be a nice mentor for Dame, but I just dont' see it.

That is the one part of his game I hate. I've never understood why he does that so often.

 

[tlongII]

I would be very surprised if Billups is healthy by the start of the season. A torn achilles requires a lot of rehab time iirc.

 

[jlprk]

Billups excites me more than Hibbert or Batum because Billups, a coach-on-the-floor, is so advanced in his development. Hibbert will regress without Bird's direction, and Batum never progressed so he can't regress.

Lillard's development would doubly accelerate with Billups to imitate. A team with a rookie starting PG is a very bad team, so Billups would start.

I wonder what the Clippers think of this. Wouldn't we be annoyed if Charlotte had stolen Cho, which they didn't, and he immediately tried to steal one of our players?

 

[KingSpeed]

Billups would not start. Management has been very clear that Lillard will start from Day 1 with no competition. Billups is being asked to back up and mentor him.

Good teams with starting rookie PGs:

1979 Champion Lakers
Tony Parker's rookie season in SA
1993-94 Magic reached playoffs with Penny starting
Sam Cassell came off bench but played a huge role on 94 title team

Also Rondo won title in his second year.

 

[KingSpeed]

Also- Bulls were a playoff team with Rose as a starting rookie PG and he played pretty well in the playoffs

 

[KingSpeed]

Bucks made playoffs with Brandon Jennings as starting rookie PG

 

[KingSpeed]

Billups excites me more than Hibbert or Batum because Billups, a coach-on-the-floor, is so advanced in his development. Hibbert will regress without Bird's direction, and Batum never progressed so he can't regress.

Lillard's development would doubly accelerate with Billups to imitate. A team with a rookie starting PG is a very bad team

Luckily that's not always true. See previous posts.

 

[jlprk]

Billups would not start. Management has been very clear that Lillard will start from Day 1 with no competition. Billups is being asked to back up and mentor him.

Good teams with starting rookie PGs:

1979 Champion Lakers
Tony Parker's rookie season in SA
1993-94 Magic reached playoffs with Penny starting
Sam Cassell came off bench but played a huge role on 94 title team

Also Rondo won title in his second year.

Which will play PG at the end of close games? Which will play more PG minutes than the other, with the other relegated to many SG minutes?

Your list is much shorter than the alternative, a list of ugly teams that started rookie PGs.

 

[KingSpeed]

If Brandon Jennings can do it, Lillard can do it. I don't want Lillard yanked at the end of games. Let him run the team.

 

[jlprk]

A PG from even an NCAA national champion is lost his first couple of years in the NBA. What level of NCAA is Weber State again, I forgot. Community college?

 

[julius]

A PG from even an NCAA national champion is lost his first couple of years in the NBA. What level of NCAA is Weber State again, I forgot. Community college?

It's level 1, same with Davidson, which is where that bum stephon curry went too, and lord he struggled.

 

[Mediocre Man]

It's level 1, same with Davidson, which is where that bum stephon curry went too, and lord he struggled.

It doesn't matter what size you are. If you can make the girl cum, you are big enough. There have been many PG's from huge schools taken in the first round that were unable to make the girl cum. Conversely the PG's taken early in the draft from smaller schools seem to be able to fuck the shit out of the girl on a regular basis

 

[julius]

It doesn't matter what size you are. If you can make the girl cum, you are big enough. There have been many PG's from huge schools taken in the first round that were unable to make the girl cum. Conversely the PG's taken early in the draft from smaller schools seem to be able to fuck the shit out of the girl on a regular basis

Nice....um...analogy? I guess.

But yeah, many pgs from big name schools that struggle or struggled.

Smith is from a big name school and he struggled. Of course some of that might be due to the coach.

One of the best pgs in the history of the game came from a small school (gonzaga)

 

[RR7]

Jason Quick ‏@jwquick
Free agent guard Chauncey Billups will not be an option for the Trail Blazers.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Jason Quick ‏@jwquick
Spencer Hawes will also not be an option at center for Blazers unless market dries up.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Jason Quick ‏@jwquick
Free agent guard Chauncey Billups will not be an option for the Trail Blazers.

Why not? Says who (besides Quick)?

 

[MickZagger]

Why not? Says who (besides Quick)?

Mike Tokito's fortune cookie.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Jason Quick ‏@jwquick
Spencer Hawes will also not be an option at center for Blazers unless market dries up.

Once again I like this approach. If they get Hibbert -- an actual difference maker at a tough position to fill -- then so be it. If not? Well it looks like they're willing to do the nasty suck and rebuild approach, by giving out low level contracts to rentals instead of tying themselves to these middling types.

If the Pacers match I hope people around here don't panic when Olshey cobbles together a horrendous supporting cast and hands the keys to Lillard from day one and finds Leonard 30 minutes a night.

 

[Natebishop3]

Once again I like this approach. If they get Hibbert -- an actual difference maker at a tough position to fill -- then so be it. If not? Well it looks like they're willing to do the nasty suck and rebuild approach, by giving out low level contracts to rentals instead of tying themselves to these middling types.

If the Pacers match I hope people around here don't panic when Olshey cobbles together a horrendous supporting cast and hands the keys to Lillard from day one and finds Leonard 30 minutes a night.

If that's the case, I hope we don't match a big offer to Batum. 12 million per year for Nic is fine if we're already over the cap and will be for the foreseeable future, but 12 million for Nic when we have an otherwise shitty team is pretty much a dumb decision.

 

[Nikolokolus]

If that's the case, I hope we don't match a big offer to Batum. 12 million per year for Nic is fine if we're already over the cap and will be for the foreseeable future, but 12 million for Nic when we have an otherwise shitty team is pretty much a dumb decision.

I concur.

 

[craigehlo]

If that's the case, I hope we don't match a big offer to Batum. 12 million per year for Nic is fine if we're already over the cap and will be for the foreseeable future, but 12 million for Nic when we have an otherwise shitty team is pretty much a dumb decision.

Exactly. If we strike out in free agency, I'd rather let him walk and save the cash for next summer as we let the rookies play this year into another lotto pick.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Once again I like this approach. If they get Hibbert -- an actual difference maker at a tough position to fill -- then so be it. If not? Well it looks like they're willing to do the nasty suck and rebuild approach, by giving out low level contracts to rentals instead of tying themselves to these middling types.

If the Pacers match I hope people around here don't panic when Olshey cobbles together a horrendous supporting cast and hands the keys to Lillard from day one and finds Leonard 30 minutes a night.

Well Olshey asked to be judged on July 20th. So if the team sucks on July 20th, I think it is fair to start bashing on Olshey, afterall he asked for it.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Well Olshey asked to be judged on July 20th. So if the team sucks on July 20th, I think it is fair to start bashing on Olshey, afterall he asked for it.

OK.

 

[KingSpeed]

Jalen Rose tweets

Clippers keeping Billiups. Provides production & leadership. Adding Jamal Crawford gives them another combo guard that get buckets! #NBA