Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups has emerged as the Trail Blazers’ choice to be their next head coach and the two parties are looking to finalize a deal, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic tweet.
Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni were the other finalists for the job previously held by Terry Stotts.
Trail Blazers owner Jody Allen reportedly pushed for Hammon while president of basketball operations Neil Olshey preferred Billups. Both of them came in for second interviews this week. Hammon became the first female finalist for an NBA head coaching position.
For Billups, it’ll be his first head coaching job, assuming the two sides finalize an agreement. The 2004 Finals MVP for the Pistons, the organization in which he acquired the nickname “Mr. Big Shot,” joined Tyronn Lue‘s staff this season after a stint with ESPN. Billups, 44, retired as a player after the 2013/14 season.
Billups, who has frequently been cited as a frontrunner for the job, received an endorsement from point guard Damian Lillard following Stotts’ exit. He also interviewed for the Celtics’ job, which went to Nets assistant Ime Udoka.
The Wizards, Magic and Pelicans are still in the process of hiring new head coaches.
Wizards Magic and Pelicans are searching for young coaches but they respect old coaches
Hammon misses out again.
she’s fairly young, she’ll get plenty of other chances.
She will get her shot. She has plenty of time and it’ll probably be a young rebuilding squad that takes a chance on her. I think it’ll be tough for a contending team to break that glass.
I hope she stays with the SASpurs and takes over for Pop …
So what? It’s not a pageant. It’s about best candidate. I, personally, am sick of the “it’s our turn” garbage.
@miltpappas I agree with you that it should always be the “best candidate that gets the job.”
But, the statement, “It’s not a pageant” that provides a misogynistic undertone that I hope you didn’t mean. By all means, I certainly don’t wish to come across as telling you’re wrong for feeling a certain way, or what to think or feel. I think there’s a better way for us fans to communicate our frustrations.
I also agree with what I perceive you’re saying, and that is that the media has placed their bias on the majority of stories. I wish we could get back to the days where it was just the news and the news consumers could form their own opinion.
@Matt_Angel…
When we’re those good ol’ days of unbiased journalism? If you really look at the history of journalism you will see that there has always been bias. They wanted to sell papers, now they need clicks/views (and still in some cases, to sell papers).
What, perhaps, is changed is the reader, and their responsibility to think critically and hold their conclusions as precious, not to be jumped at with the least common denominator of information.
@xtraflamy Walter Cronkite? Immediately following 9/11, maybe?
I agree that splashy headlines grab viewers and readers, and now Clickbait with the internet. No disagreement there.
Playing arbitrator here: think this is just crossed wires, I read milt’s comment using “pageant” on purpose because Hammon is in a familiar spot as a woman trying to break into a career path and being told to be patient; and I read the earlier comments as having faith in Hammon’s abilities, which is why her shot at being a head coach is inevitable. Am I getting everyone?
@dinosaurjones Well stated.
Billups had to get the nod if he passed through the interview process unscathed. Lillard wanted him. Boston stars got their preference too.
I don’t see why teams like Billups. He’s got next to no coaching experience. He’s had 1 year as an assistant to Lue who has 6 assistants.
Almost makes you wonder if the organizations/players have info that fans don’t?
I understand he may be a great leader, great teacher but full time coaching and on a team that aspires to win a championship I doubt it works out
Biased obviously, but I hope that Billups is a good coach. He was an amazing piston and he looks like he could be a talented coach, just what the blazers need. Wish him nothin but the best!
Portland passes on making a diverse hire. Shame.
What?
“Trail Blazers owner Jody Allen reportedly pushed for Hammon while president of basketball operations Neil Olshey preferred Billups.”
Interesting. Given the power dynamic there, I would have thought Hammon would have gotten the job. Olshey best hope Billups works out or else it may be Olshey looking for a job next off-season.
Probably should be looking for work this off-season, but the Allen family continues to be enamored with Olshey’s acting abilities.
This is business. Why would they go for the headlines. Blazers trying to win the west. That’s the only statement they need to make. Seems to me CJ is gone. It’s only way to upgrade and change team some. Dillards window doesn’t have much left 3-4 yrs tops.
A LOT of Dillards have closed their doors and mall windows over the years, good point.
Too many called Dillards, Dullards, perhaps.
This is a business, but why a rookie then. Billups looks good on tv, but he typically doesn’t take risks, even though tv producers encourage it. He’s a conventional-opinion guy, is he not? I guess the lineup is set… maybe to a fault.
You mean doesn’t take risks as a tv analyst? Please tell me that’s not how you’re gauging what he’d do as a coach? Also if we’re doing that, counterpoint: link to m.youtube.com
Well good player clip, but I think as a coach, he would be more like he was as an analyst than he was as a player, so yes.
Stars do not make the best coaches anyway. The record of ex-analysts has fewer instances, but what does one go by with a rookie HC? Most analysts used to be a player or coach before…
I think comfort with conventional wisdom will carry over; also, he was a calm-down influence on the Pistons, compared to Sheed, Ben Wallace, rookie Prince.
Compare to studio cohort Paul Pierce, who says wild things & makes predictions. I bet that would carry over too. He might try the box&1.
Skip Dillard??
If they hire her I think dame has one foot out the door. Hope she does eventually get a chance
Here comes the most certain tradition of every offseason, for the last 3 at least… Hammon considered for every HC job in the league… & always missing out!
I don’t know, but I am starting to thing she will never get a job, seems to me teams using her as a PR stunt, just to show they open, but never would put a lady as their HC!
I hope I am wrong, but so far I am sadly right, please, someone make me wrong!
100% chance she eventually gets a HC gig. Also a 100% chance that some teams seriously considered her while others, indeed, brought her in for lip service. It is what it is. Her time will come.
Of course. Male GMs tack her on to their list ( “Oh, and that woman too. Don’t want the ladies complaining!”). They get credit for being open or woke or modern, while Hammon stays in the same job. Been going on since 2015. HR had a community shootout on her. Posters said the most progressive things. All for nought, all helping each other gather their cred. Actually it’s an older game than that, from the early days of feminism when it started paying men to get cred.
Hammon should not be considered until it is serious. Unless she doesn’t care or enjoys the attention, but there’s no word on that. Meantime who wants to interview the trailblazer & “Great girl”.
This post will be modded 5.4.3.2.1
Sometimes it just takes a while. Look at Ime Udoka. He was always “a candidate” and never got a chance until now.
There are just a lot of good and talented coaches in the NBA these days, but only 30 teams. Not everyone who might deserve it can get a job.
“Jody Allen reportedly pushed for Hammon.” Well, duh.
And Udoka a PSU guy too.
Trade Lillard to New York already. Lillard will never win a Championship in Portland. You can book it!!!!
Like New York’s losing way is any better lol- what a dumb thing to say
Yuk!