Game 74: Portland vs Miami 5:00pm Root,Root+

[El Alonzo scowl]

What's the matter, I thought you guys felt like you won a championship cause you didn't trade Dame to Miami? Where are the guys who invaded our board in the offseason? Still celebrating?

[Blaze the Nugz]

What's the matter, I thought you guys felt like you won a championship cause you didn't trade Dame to Miami? Where are the guys who invaded our board in the offseason? Still celebrating?

Congrats, your team beat up on what amounts to a G League roster with a G League coach.

[Waynearchetype]

Image bragging beating this team, must not be much to cheer for in Miami.

[Brandon-Clyde]

What's the matter, I thought you guys felt like you won a championship cause you didn't trade Dame to Miami? Where are the guys who invaded our board in the offseason? Still celebrating?

You still don't have Dame do you? And the Miami offer for Dame was putrid so trading Dame to Miami would not have made this season's iteration of the Blazers any better. How many games has the supposed main piece (Tyler Herro)in that trade played this season? 36 you say. Less than half the games thus far. And despite the score it was still only one game yesterday.

[Shem]

no Lillard deal no mercy

And Heat fans want us to believe they're over it.

[Shem]

What's the matter, I thought you guys felt like you won a championship cause you didn't trade Dame to Miami? Where are the guys who invaded our board in the offseason? Still celebrating?

Congrats on your win against 6 rookies in the rotation and many of them G-League talent. I guess you have sealed your NBA championship up with a 60 point win against us. Congrats on your ring. Buy a safe and don't give out the combination to anyone you don't trust. Because this is the closest your team is going to get to the championship this season.

BTW, your team will not win the NBA title this year. In fact, they won't make the finals. And it won't be long before you're rebuilding. Mark my words.

[PDXKnight]

no Lillard deal no mercy

And Heat fans want us to believe they're over it.

Comments like this make me happy he's not in mia. So much entitlement

[BNM]

Billups can't make his team start hitting open jumpers and botching layups. Heck even getting the ball stripped from them. The Blazers have the worst at the rip FG% in the league and that's because of a lack of talent. Watching Scoot rim check a layup was Shaqtin a Fool type of stuff, but a reminder of how bad this team including Scoot is at FG% at the rim.

What do you do when a team constantly misses wide open test the wind shots while your opponent is swished contested shots throughout the game? I've seen this happen countless times this season. And guess what? San Antonio has the same problem. Enough of their games have been on national TV this year because of Wemby being on that team that I've seen enough of the same type of problems there too. And guess who is San Antonio's coach? Gregg Popovich. You'd think he's one of the worst coaches in the league by the play of the Spurs the last 4 seasons.

The Blazers don't have the right talent to compete right now. Even Phil Jackson couldn't save this team from its fate this season. It also doesn't hurt that the main core of players have missed a lot of games this year.

-Simons has missed 28 games
-Grant has missed 20 games
-Ayton has missed 26 games
-Brogdon has missed 35 games
-Sharpe has missed 42 games
-Scoot has missed 19 games

But please continue to think it's Chauncey's fault.

Yawn...

Always with the excuses. Poor Chauncey is the victim here. The team couldn't hold a double digit lead when they were a healthy, veteran team trying to win and the young players are not developing. If anything, they are getting worse.

In three seasons I have seen zero evidence that Chauncey is, or will ever be, a competent NBA head coach. None. Zip. Nada.

And always the "fire Billups" crowd hates facts. Yeah, don't bring out all the games core players missed via injury. Goes against the narrative... the propaganda. I'm sorry, you guys don't live in reality. Your reality is if we had a coach like Phil Jackson, he could bring a team with G-League talent into the Finals right away.

The "fire Billups" crowd doesn't hate facts. We love them and post them all the time. You chose to ignore them and continue to make excuses for the most incompetent coach in franchise history.

This is one of the worst posts you have ever made. Are you really oblivious to the fact that there is a WHOLE LOT OF MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN GETTING PUMMELED BY 60 POINTS MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE SEASON AND WINNING AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP???

That's the weakest take I've ever seen and a total strawman. No one has ever said a better coach would lead this team to a title. It's not just the losing. It' the way this team loses, the complete lack of a coherent NBA offense, ZERO in game adjustments and the lack of development of the young players.

There are some facts for you to shew on. If you disagree, please feel free to rebut any of those points, but please site actual \examples, not just excuses and strawman arguments.

[BNM]

Speaking of me railing on Scoot 2-3 hours ago on this thread. This just came to my attention.

Read on Twitter

Wait, what???? How can this be. I thought Chauncey was the perfect coach for developing the highest lottery pick we've had in over a decade and a half. Wasn't Chauncey supposed to be the key to Scoot's development?

Please, tell us all about the great strides Scoot has made under the legendary Coach Billups.

[BNM]

Okay it got worse. Scoot not only holds the highest minus in NBA history, but he also has the 3rd highest as well.

Read on Twitter

It's almost like he has shown zero improvement under the tutelage of Chauncey Billups.

Fact: the Blazers run an ISO heavy offense that lacks ball and player movement and relies heavily on their guards beating their defender off the dribble and finishing at the rim (something Scoot wasn't ready to do at the NBA level and it shows). That worked reasonably well when POR had Lillard and McCollum who actually had the handles and finishing ability to excel in that type of offense.

With Scoot (especially) and Simons, all it does is lead to the lowest AST/G and lowest TS% in the league. It's a simplistic offense that is easily defended, but it is exceptionally ill suited to their current roster. Putting a rookie PG in that offense from day 1 was a HORRIBLE choice, and then seeing him struggle and NOT CHANGING a GOD DAMN THING is idiotic and a complete waste of Scoot's rookie year. In fact, it worse than that. Not only has Scoot not developed, it has actually hurt his confidence. Chauncey is supposed to be some great mentor, but name one thing he's done that hasn't been detrimental to Scoot's development.

[BNM]

The 2023-24 Portland Trail Blazers are the first team in the 76-year history of the NBA to lose two games by 60, or more, points in the same season.

Thanks Chauncey!!!

[DusterBuster]

Okay it got worse. Scoot not only holds the highest minus in NBA history, but he also has the 3rd highest as well.

Read on Twitter

It's almost like he has shown zero improvement under the tutelage of Chauncey Billups.

Fact: the Blazers run an ISO heavy offense that lacks ball and player movement and relies heavily on their guards beating their defender off the dribble and finishing at the rim (something Scoot wasn't ready to do at the NBA level and it shows). That worked reasonably well when POR had Lillard and McCollum who actually had the handles and finishing ability to excel in that type of offense.

With Scoot (especially) and Simons, all it does is lead to the lowest AST/G and lowest TS% in the league. It's a simplistic offense that is easily defended, but it is exceptionally ill suited to their current roster. Putting a rookie PG in that offense from day 1 was a HORRIBLE choice, and then seeing him struggle and NOT CHANGING a GOD DAMN THING is idiotic and a complete waste of Scoot's rookie year. In fact, it worse than that. Not only has Scoot not developed, it has actually hurt his confidence. Chauncey is supposed to be some great mentor, but name one thing he's done that hasn't been detrimental to Scoot's development.

I feel like that GLeague team did Scoot a massive disservice. All your Chauncey points are 100% valid, but Scoot came in thinking he was better than most college kids because he was on the NBA approved gleague team and instead he’s coming in rawer than even Sharpe did. You saw it on Draft night, he thought he was awesome and an instant star and - to be blunt - he’s fallen directly in his face outside of like 5 games out of 50ish … and he’s been injured to boot.

Keep the rose colored glasses on if you want, but this is not how stars start a career.

[Shem]

Yawn...

Always with the excuses. Poor Chauncey is the victim here. The team couldn't hold a double digit lead when they were a healthy, veteran team trying to win and the young players are not developing. If anything, they are getting worse.

In three seasons I have seen zero evidence that Chauncey is, or will ever be, a competent NBA head coach. None. Zip. Nada.

And always the "fire Billups" crowd hates facts. Yeah, don't bring out all the games core players missed via injury. Goes against the narrative... the propaganda. I'm sorry, you guys don't live in reality. Your reality is if we had a coach like Phil Jackson, he could bring a team with G-League talent into the Finals right away.

The "fire Billups" crowd doesn't hate facts. We love them and post them all the time. You chose to ignore them and continue to make excuses for the most incompetent coach in franchise history.

Worse than:

P. J. Carlesimo??
Mike Schuler??
Jack McCloskey??
Stu Inman??
Rolland Todd??

Seriously? I bet you hadn't heard of many of those names.

When I mention the facts of about the core players that missed a lot of games over the last three years, you put their fingers in your ears pretending that didn't happen. That's ignoring facts.

This is one of the worst posts you have ever made. Are you really oblivious to the fact that there is a WHOLE LOT OF MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN GETTING PUMMELED BY 60 POINTS MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE SEASON AND WINNING AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP???

You missed the part where we played 6 rookies in that game. Lately the team has been starting 5 of them. Please, ignore that fact about playing G-League level talent can be exploited by good teams at times. People like you have this belief if you have a certain coach, it doesn't matter who is on the floor and ignore "fact" how bad the Spurs have been the last 4 years under Popovich.

It's like you forgot not too long ago the Thunder were rebuilding for the last 5 years around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and at one point the OKC Thunder set the NBA record of being blown out by 79 points. Uh oh, another inconvenient fact to ignore.

That's the weakest take I've ever seen and a total strawman. No one has ever said a better coach would lead this team to a title. It's not just the losing. It' the way this team loses, the complete lack of a coherent NBA offense, ZERO in game adjustments and the lack of development of the young players.

I can tell you've never coached before on how difficult it is to develop players. Especially when core players are missing game via injury. Lineups and rosters are in flux. 22 players have suit up for the Blazers this season. Many G-League level talent is out there. But again, facts don't matter to you.

There are some facts for you to shew on. If you disagree, please feel free to rebut any of those points, but please site actual \examples, not just excuses and strawman arguments.

So they're strawman arguments when you don't like what is said. Got it!

Here are more facts you won't like.

-Simons has missed 28 games
-Grant has missed 20 games
-Sharpe has missed 42 games
-Ayton has missed 26 games
-Brogdon has missed 35 games
-Scoot has missed 19 games

That messes with any team. But look at last year.

-Simons has missed 28 games
-Grant has missed 20 games
-Sharpe has missed 42 games
-Ayton has missed 26 games
-Brogdon has missed 35 games
-Scoot has missed 19 games
-Time Lord has missed 68 games

Last year

-Dame missed 24 games
-Grant missed 19 games
-Simons missed 20 games
-Winslow missed 53 games
-Nurk missed 30 games
-Little missed 28 games

And at one point last year, the Blazers were 3 games from the 4th seed with 22 games left in the season and management thought it was tank for the draft pick so they did.

Then the year before, Dame played 29 games and in the games he played, he was hurting the whole season. I've already argued with someone about how they thought Dame having surgery and playing horribly for 29 games should have made the playoffs and would have under Stotts. Even though Stotts have coached a team where Dame sat our most of the season like that before.

THESE ARE FACTS YOU WANT IGNORE. Facts you want to use mental gymnastics to get around. And why is that? Because you live vicariously through this team and losing hurts you personal ego and you're so simple minded that you think a different coach would have gotten us in the playoffs or something.

We're tanking and missed the memo. It's like people think "I want to tank, but I need 1 point losses for all 82 games or we need a new coach" type mentality.

Phil Jackson couldn't have done much better.

[BNM]

Okay it got worse. Scoot not only holds the highest minus in NBA history, but he also has the 3rd highest as well.

Read on Twitter

It's almost like he has shown zero improvement under the tutelage of Chauncey Billups.

Fact: the Blazers run an ISO heavy offense that lacks ball and player movement and relies heavily on their guards beating their defender off the dribble and finishing at the rim (something Scoot wasn't ready to do at the NBA level and it shows). That worked reasonably well when POR had Lillard and McCollum who actually had the handles and finishing ability to excel in that type of offense.

With Scoot (especially) and Simons, all it does is lead to the lowest AST/G and lowest TS% in the league. It's a simplistic offense that is easily defended, but it is exceptionally ill suited to their current roster. Putting a rookie PG in that offense from day 1 was a HORRIBLE choice, and then seeing him struggle and NOT CHANGING a GOD DAMN THING is idiotic and a complete waste of Scoot's rookie year. In fact, it worse than that. Not only has Scoot not developed, it has actually hurt his confidence. Chauncey is supposed to be some great mentor, but name one thing he's done that hasn't been detrimental to Scoot's development.

I feel like that GLeague team did Scoot a massive disservice. All your Chauncey points are 100% valid, but Scoot came in thinking he was better than most college kids because he was on the NBA approved gleague team and instead he’s coming in rawer than even Sharpe did. You saw it on Draft night, he thought he was awesome and an instant star and - to be blunt - he’s fallen directly in his face outside of like 5 games out of 50ish … and he’s been injured to boot.

Keep the rose colored glasses on if you want, but this is not how stars start a career.

I'm not sure how I have rose colored glasses here. Scoot has a long way to even becoming an average NBA starting PG, but who was in charge of his development this season and (gag) going forward? If Scoot was overconfident and overhyped, Chauncey also bought into the hype by making him the starting PG in an ISO heavy offense from day 1. Chauncey set him up to fail and hasn't changed a thing. The Blazers still run the same ISO heavy offense which is ill suited to a rookie PG who has trouble finishing at the rim.

I'm willing to acknowledge the Ignite didn't do Scoot any favors, but name one way Chauncey has helped him develop. Chauncey is a highly paid NBA head coach. Isn't it reasonable to expect him to be better than a G League coach?

[BNM]

And always the "fire Billups" crowd hates facts. Yeah, don't bring out all the games core players missed via injury. Goes against the narrative... the propaganda. I'm sorry, you guys don't live in reality. Your reality is if we had a coach like Phil Jackson, he could bring a team with G-League talent into the Finals right away.

The "fire Billups" crowd doesn't hate facts. We love them and post them all the time. You chose to ignore them and continue to make excuses for the most incompetent coach in franchise history.

Worse than:

P. J. Carlesimo??
Mike Schuler??
Jack McCloskey??
Stu Inman??
Rolland Todd??

Seriously? I bet you hadn't heard of many of those names.

When I mention the facts of about the core players that missed a lot of games over the last three years, you put their fingers in your ears pretending that didn't happen. That's ignoring facts.

This is one of the worst posts you have ever made. Are you really oblivious to the fact that there is a WHOLE LOT OF MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN GETTING PUMMELED BY 60 POINTS MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE SEASON AND WINNING AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP???

You missed the part where we played 6 rookies in that game. Lately the team has been starting 5 of them. Please, ignore that fact about playing G-League level talent can be exploited by good teams at times. People like you have this belief if you have a certain coach, it doesn't matter who is on the floor and ignore "fact" how bad the Spurs have been the last 4 years under Popovich.

It's like you forgot not too long ago the Thunder were rebuilding for the last 5 years around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and at one point the OKC Thunder set the NBA record of being blown out by 79 points. Uh oh, another inconvenient fact to ignore.

That's the weakest take I've ever seen and a total strawman. No one has ever said a better coach would lead this team to a title. It's not just the losing. It' the way this team loses, the complete lack of a coherent NBA offense, ZERO in game adjustments and the lack of development of the young players.

I can tell you've never coached before on how difficult it is to develop players. Especially when core players are missing game via injury. Lineups and rosters are in flux. 22 players have suit up for the Blazers this season. Many G-League level talent is out there. But again, facts don't matter to you.

There are some facts for you to shew on. If you disagree, please feel free to rebut any of those points, but please site actual \examples, not just excuses and strawman arguments.

So they're strawman arguments when you don't like what is said. Got it!

Here are more facts you won't like.

-Simons has missed 28 games
-Grant has missed 20 games
-Sharpe has missed 42 games
-Ayton has missed 26 games
-Brogdon has missed 35 games
-Scoot has missed 19 games

That messes with any team. But look at last year.

-Simons has missed 28 games
-Grant has missed 20 games
-Sharpe has missed 42 games
-Ayton has missed 26 games
-Brogdon has missed 35 games
-Scoot has missed 19 games
-Time Lord has missed 68 games

Last year

-Dame missed 24 games
-Grant missed 19 games
-Simons missed 20 games
-Winslow missed 53 games
-Nurk missed 30 games
-Little missed 28 games

And at one point last year, the Blazers were 3 games from the 4th seed with 22 games left in the season and management thought it was tank for the draft pick so they did.

Then the year before, Dame played 29 games and in the games he played, he was hurting the whole season. I've already argued with someone about how they thought Dame having surgery and playing horribly for 29 games should have made the playoffs and would have under Stotts. Even though Stotts have coached a team where Dame sat our most of the season like that before.

THESE ARE FACTS YOU WANT IGNORE. Facts you want to use mental gymnastics to get around. And why is that? Because you live vicariously through this team and losing hurts you personal ego and you're so simple minded that you think a different coach would have gotten us in the playoffs or something.

We're tanking and missed the memo. It's like people think "I want to tank, but I need 1 point losses for all 82 games or we need a new coach" type mentality.

Phil Jackson couldn't have done much better.

Good lord, the same tiresome excuses and Phil Jackson comparison AGAIN????

Yes, we are tanking. Yes, we tanked last year and the year before. We hadn't planned on tanking last year, but had no choice due to Chauncey's ineptitude. Your injury excuse (other than Chauncey's first season) is flat out disingenuous. The majority of those games in year two were due to the Blazers shutting down the vets when it became clear the Blazers couldn't hold a double digit lead, let alone win a close game, with Chauncey in charge.

I really don't get why you defend this guy. He is a horrible coach. POR's offense is the most simplistic and ill matched to the roster of any in the league. I've seen high school teams with better player movement and ball movement. It's been the same exact offense all three seasons, regardless if they are trying to win, trying to tank or who is on the roster. Memo to Chauncey: 19-year old Scoot Henderson is NOT 33-year old Damian Lillard. You might want to consider changing things up a little.

[Shem]

The "fire Billups" crowd doesn't hate facts. We love them and post them all the time. You chose to ignore them and continue to make excuses for the most incompetent coach in franchise history.

Worse than:

P. J. Carlesimo??
Mike Schuler??
Jack McCloskey??
Stu Inman??
Rolland Todd??

Seriously? I bet you hadn't heard of many of those names.

When I mention the facts of about the core players that missed a lot of games over the last three years, you put their fingers in your ears pretending that didn't happen. That's ignoring facts.

This is one of the worst posts you have ever made. Are you really oblivious to the fact that there is a WHOLE LOT OF MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN GETTING PUMMELED BY 60 POINTS MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE SEASON AND WINNING AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP???

You missed the part where we played 6 rookies in that game. Lately the team has been starting 5 of them. Please, ignore that fact about playing G-League level talent can be exploited by good teams at times. People like you have this belief if you have a certain coach, it doesn't matter who is on the floor and ignore "fact" how bad the Spurs have been the last 4 years under Popovich.

It's like you forgot not too long ago the Thunder were rebuilding for the last 5 years around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and at one point the OKC Thunder set the NBA record of being blown out by 79 points. Uh oh, another inconvenient fact to ignore.

That's the weakest take I've ever seen and a total strawman. No one has ever said a better coach would lead this team to a title. It's not just the losing. It' the way this team loses, the complete lack of a coherent NBA offense, ZERO in game adjustments and the lack of development of the young players.

I can tell you've never coached before on how difficult it is to develop players. Especially when core players are missing game via injury. Lineups and rosters are in flux. 22 players have suit up for the Blazers this season. Many G-League level talent is out there. But again, facts don't matter to you.

There are some facts for you to shew on. If you disagree, please feel free to rebut any of those points, but please site actual \examples, not just excuses and strawman arguments.

So they're strawman arguments when you don't like what is said. Got it!

Here are more facts you won't like.

-Simons has missed 28 games
-Grant has missed 20 games
-Sharpe has missed 42 games
-Ayton has missed 26 games
-Brogdon has missed 35 games
-Scoot has missed 19 games

That messes with any team. But look at last year.

-Simons has missed 28 games
-Grant has missed 20 games
-Sharpe has missed 42 games
-Ayton has missed 26 games
-Brogdon has missed 35 games
-Scoot has missed 19 games
-Time Lord has missed 68 games

Last year

-Dame missed 24 games
-Grant missed 19 games
-Simons missed 20 games
-Winslow missed 53 games
-Nurk missed 30 games
-Little missed 28 games

And at one point last year, the Blazers were 3 games from the 4th seed with 22 games left in the season and management thought it was tank for the draft pick so they did.

Then the year before, Dame played 29 games and in the games he played, he was hurting the whole season. I've already argued with someone about how they thought Dame having surgery and playing horribly for 29 games should have made the playoffs and would have under Stotts. Even though Stotts have coached a team where Dame sat our most of the season like that before.

THESE ARE FACTS YOU WANT IGNORE. Facts you want to use mental gymnastics to get around. And why is that? Because you live vicariously through this team and losing hurts you personal ego and you're so simple minded that you think a different coach would have gotten us in the playoffs or something.

We're tanking and missed the memo. It's like people think "I want to tank, but I need 1 point losses for all 82 games or we need a new coach" type mentality.

Phil Jackson couldn't have done much better.

Good lord, the same tiresome excuses and Phil Jackson comparison AGAIN????

Yes, we are tanking. Yes, we tanked last year and the year before. We hadn't planned on tanking last year, but had no choice due to Chauncey's ineptitude.

No no no no no no no...
That's an argument, not a fact. And it doesn't add up. If management believed Chauncey was the problem you claim he was in your argument that wasn't through through very well, then why is he still the coach??? That doesn't make sense.

What makes sense is there is no point in barely making the playoffs and have nothing to show for it or go for the high draft pick because high talented free agents don't sign with Portland.

Your injury excuse (other than Chauncey's first season) is flat out disingenuous.

Because it hurts the narrative you want to sell. Got it!!!

The majority of those games in year two were due to the Blazers shutting down the vets when it became clear the Blazers couldn't hold a double digit lead, let alone win a close game, with Chauncey in charge.

I'm willing to bet if Olshey had still been in charge, he would have gone for it. 22 games left and 3 games out from the 4th seed. You can tell Cronin wanted a reset/rebuild and needs high draft picks to make it a success. Especially since you're not going to get high level talent via free agency so you have to do it with the draft.

I really don't get why you defend this guy. He is a horrible coach.

Do I really have to explain this to you? I guess I do. Just like with high end talented players, Portland isn't going to get high end established coaches either. Look at Stotts. He had a horrible coaching record when he was hired. Look at Nate McMillian before him too. You can go back to even Rick Adelman. He had no NBA head coaching experience when he took the Blazers job. That's the reality of being a small market team in the Northwest.

To end up with a great head coach in Portland, it's going to have to start with someone who is lacking experience and looking for any job to just get the opportunity.

Another reason why I currently approve of Chauncey. The players love him. One of the keys to becoming a great head coach is not to lose the locker room. Have you noticed Banton lately? Didn't have a chance to really get big minutes in Toronto or Boston. But one of the things he has said that he credits to his success is Chauncey believing in him. This is the same story I hear with other young players.

I listen to Billups talk about his players in press conferences after games. He never throws his players under the bus and talks about the positives he sees in his players after every loss. It's things like that where I want to see where this goes as this team matures.

I'm at a point in my life where the wins and losses don't bother me. That's my ego that would. I don't care about the margin of the losses either. Especially during this rebuild. They don't matter and will be forgotten shortly as a loss is a loss no matter what. Patience is the key here. I'm willing to let Chauncey learn and grow as a young coach as long as the players respect and listen to him. If at any point Chauncey loses the locker room, I will call for his firing.

POR's offense is the most simplistic and ill matched to the roster of any in the league. I've seen high school teams with better player movement and ball movement.

Most college teams have better ball movement than most NBA teams. That's the just nature of the game. The NBA relies more on individual talent than any other pro league. And top end talent has more impact in the NBA than other major sports. It's why a coach like Popovich can have the worse record in the west this year. Talent matters at this level. And Portland doesn't have it. That and along with a roster in flux all the time via injuries the last couple of years doesn't help much.

Talent matters so much that our best player Malcom Brogdon helped the Blazers to 15-24 record while the Blazers are 4-31 without him. Look at the ratio of wins and losses over one player just being in the lineup. TALENT MATTERS way more than coaching!!!

Oh, and look at the Grizzlies this year with their injuries. Look at how they played last season. Look at the difference Morant makes for them.

If the Blazers while not trying to win games to get a high draft pick ended up firing Billups, a coach the team loves could destabilize the locker room which could stunt the development. Players that loved him may blame themselves for it and that's a confidence killer. Take it from someone who has seen interesting situations as a former player that played college ball. I know what it's like for a coach you like that helped evaluate your game to be fired and keep a coach around that the players don't respect.

[DusterBuster]

It's almost like he has shown zero improvement under the tutelage of Chauncey Billups.

Fact: the Blazers run an ISO heavy offense that lacks ball and player movement and relies heavily on their guards beating their defender off the dribble and finishing at the rim (something Scoot wasn't ready to do at the NBA level and it shows). That worked reasonably well when POR had Lillard and McCollum who actually had the handles and finishing ability to excel in that type of offense.

With Scoot (especially) and Simons, all it does is lead to the lowest AST/G and lowest TS% in the league. It's a simplistic offense that is easily defended, but it is exceptionally ill suited to their current roster. Putting a rookie PG in that offense from day 1 was a HORRIBLE choice, and then seeing him struggle and NOT CHANGING a GOD DAMN THING is idiotic and a complete waste of Scoot's rookie year. In fact, it worse than that. Not only has Scoot not developed, it has actually hurt his confidence. Chauncey is supposed to be some great mentor, but name one thing he's done that hasn't been detrimental to Scoot's development.

I feel like that GLeague team did Scoot a massive disservice. All your Chauncey points are 100% valid, but Scoot came in thinking he was better than most college kids because he was on the NBA approved gleague team and instead he’s coming in rawer than even Sharpe did. You saw it on Draft night, he thought he was awesome and an instant star and - to be blunt - he’s fallen directly in his face outside of like 5 games out of 50ish … and he’s been injured to boot.

Keep the rose colored glasses on if you want, but this is not how stars start a career.

I'm not sure how I have rose colored glasses here. Scoot has a long way to even becoming an average NBA starting PG, but who was in charge of his development this season and (gag) going forward? If Scoot was overconfident and overhyped, Chauncey also bought into the hype by making him the starting PG in an ISO heavy offense from day 1. Chauncey set him up to fail and hasn't changed a thing. The Blazers still run the same ISO heavy offense which is ill suited to a rookie PG who has trouble finishing at the rim.

I'm willing to acknowledge the Ignite didn't do Scoot any favors, but name one way Chauncey has helped him develop. Chauncey is a highly paid NBA head coach. Isn't it reasonable to expect him to be better than a G League coach?

Sorry, the rose colored glasses comment was directed at Shem. My bad, can see how that wasn’t clear.

Like I mentioned earlier in that post, I 1000% agree with all your points on Billups.

[TroubleS0me]

The 2023-24 Portland Trail Blazers are the first team in the 76-year history of the NBA to lose two games by 60, or more, points in the same season.

Thanks Chauncey!!!

Yea he's done. I know the Blazers had injuries but the 60 pt loses really did it for him.