Portland Trail Blazers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Billups, Thunder, SGA, Azubuike

December 3rd, 2021 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was unhappy with his team’s effort after Thursday’s 31-point loss to the Spurs, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. It may have been the most frustrating defeat of the season for an 11-12 Portland team that is trying to gain traction in the Western Conference playoff race. The Blazers were missing star guard Damian Lillard, who is sidelined with an abdominal injury, and Nassir Little, who is nursing a sore ankle, but Billups doesn’t see their absences as an excuse for the blowout.

“My biggest concern I think at the moment is, I want us to compete harder,” he said. “I want us to compete in every game. And I don’t feel like every game we do that. I really don’t. I don’t feel like we do that every night. And that concerns me.”

Billups was particularly upset that his team didn’t execute the game plan against San Antonio, allowing the league’s worst three-point shooting team to hit 14-of-36 from beyond the arc. He also hinted that he will experiment with rotation changes based on competitive spirit.

“I’m willing to lose games that way,” Billups said. “I’ve ended games with lineups that people probably scratched their head at. But if I find guys that’s gonna compete, and have this winning spirit about them, I love it.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Thunder made some unwanted NBA history Thursday night with the most lopsided loss since the league was formed, notes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the 152-79 defeat against Memphis isn’t an accurate way to judge his team, which was on the second night of a back-to-back and played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and several other players. “This isn’t indicative of who our team is, how we’ve competed all season from training camp all the way through the games,” Daigneault said. “It’s important I think to keep that in mind internally for us.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was placed in concussion protocol after being fouled twice on layups in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game, Mussatto adds. He had a headache on the Thunder’s flight to Memphis Wednesday night, then felt worse after waking up from a nap Thursday afternoon. Daigneault said he would have kept Gilgeous-Alexander at home if he realized he had suffered a concussion.
Jazz center Udoka Azubuike won’t need surgery on the dislocated right ankle he suffered last week, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Sources tell Todd that Azubuike will begin rehabbing the ankle, but the process may take most of the season.

Damian Lillard Out At Least 10 Days Due To Abdominal Injury

December 1st, 2021 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

After undergoing an MRI, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with lower abdominal tendinopathy, the team announced today in a press release.

Lillard, who was unavailable for Portland’s win over Detroit on Tuesday, will be reevaluated in 10 days, according to the Blazers. That means he’ll miss at least the team’s next four games, against the Spurs (Thursday), Celtics (Saturday), Clippers (next Monday), and Warriors (next Wednesday).

Lillard had gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season, averaging 21.5 PPG with a .397 FG% and a .302 3PT% through 20 games (35.7 MPG). That scoring average would be his lowest mark since 2014/15, while the shooting numbers are career worsts. The Blazers will be hoping he performs more consistently at his usual All-NBA level when he returns.

The Blazers announced some more injury news on Wednesday, stating in a press release that forward Nassir Little will be reevaluated in a week after spraining his left ankle on Monday.

Little, who also missed Tuesday’s game, has taken a step forward in his third NBA season. The 21-year-old is averaging 8.3 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 21 games (22.4 MPG) as one of Portland’s most-used reserves.

With Lillard and Little out and Norman Powell battling a quad issue, the Blazers’ depth will be tested in the short term. CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, and Anfernee Simons will have to handle more of the scoring load, while bench players like Tony Snell, Dennis Smith Jr. and Ben McLemore should see more consistent minutes.

LeBron James, Robert Covington Both Fined $15K By NBA

November 26th, 2021 at 7:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers star LeBron James has been fined $15K for making an obscene gesture on the court, the league announced (Twitter link).

The incident occurred at the end of the fourth quarter during the team’s overtime win against Indiana on Nov. 24. He was also warned for using profanity during his post-game availability in response to his one-game suspension.

In a separate tweet, the league also announced that Trail Blazers forward Robert Covington was fined $15K for throwing his face mask at a referee.

The incident took place in the second quarter of the team’s loss against Sacramento on Nov. 24. Covington received a technical and was ejected from the game.

Robert Covington Ejected From Wednesday's Game

November 25th, 2021 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers forward Robert Covington was ejected from Wednesday’s game in Sacramento for throwing his face guard and hitting an official’s foot with it. As Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian relays, head coach Chauncey Billups and star guard Damian Lillard said after the game that it was an accident. “Roco always takes his mask off and tosses it to the side,” Lillard said. “This time he just tossed it and it literally bounced into the referee.” It remains to be seen whether Covington will be fined by the NBA for the incident.

Quick: Blazers Evolving From Collection Of Players Into Team

November 23rd, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers, who are riding a three-game winning streak, are showing signs of evolving from a collection of players into a team, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. Quick points to a few moments that have shown that evolution, including Larry Nance Jr. making sure rookie Trendon Watford got the game ball when he scored his first NBA points in a blowout loss to Denver.

Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

November 22nd, 2021 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been named the Player of the Week for the Western Conference and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has earned the honor for the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Lillard’s Blazers only played three games during the week of November 15-21, but won all three. The All-NBA guard averaged 28.3 PPG and 8.3 APG in victories over Toronto, Chicago, and Philadelphia, racking up 39 points in Friday’s game vs. the Sixers. He beat out fellow Western Conference nominees Deandre Ayton, Jordan Poole, and Karl-Anthony Towns (Twitter link).

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks also enjoyed a 3-0 week, with Giannis putting up eye-popping averages of 33.3 PPG, 16.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 2.7 BPG against the Lakers, Thunder, and Magic. His week included a 47-point outburst vs. Los Angeles and a 32-point, 20-rebound showing vs. Orlando.

The two-time MVP won the award over a crowded field of Eastern Conference nominees: LaMelo Ball, Jimmy Butler, Clint Capela, DeMar DeRozan, Darius Garland, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Jayson Tatum.

Blazers' Olshey Interviewed This Week As Part Of Investigation

November 19th, 2021 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers‘ investigation into Neil Olshey may be entering its final stages, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who says Olshey was interviewed earlier this week as part of the probe. Sources tell Begley that Olshey is still owed more than $12MM on his current deal, which could become a sticking point if the franchise decides to part ways with the executive, as we outlined on Thursday.

NBA GMs Forming Association To Give Execs Access To Legal, PR Resources

November 18th, 2021 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA general managers are working to form an association that would support front office executives across the league with shared access to “legal defense funds, lawyer referrals and public relations professionals,” sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. The group would be structured similarly to the National Basketball Coaches Association, per ESPN’s duo.

According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, NBA front office executives began this process back in March, so it predates the independent investigation the Trail Blazers opened into the conduct of president of basketball operations Neil Olshey. However, that probe further convinced the GMs of the need for such an association, sources tell ESPN.

As Woj and Shelburne explain, dozens of executives have told ESPN that the Olshey investigation has “stoked fears” around the league that a team could part ways with an executive for a traditional reason – such as a team’s performance or a difference in philosophies – and look for a way to turn it into a firing for “cause” in order to avoid paying the exec’s remaining salary.

Those front office executives feel that phrases used in media reports to describe the Blazers under Olshey – such as “toxic environment” and “hostile workplace” – may be part of a campaign to void the remaining years and salary on his contract if and when he’s dismissed, according to ESPN.

It’s easy to view this story cynically from either side. It’s certainly plausible that an ownership group would look for ways to avoid paying the rest of a top executive’s salary after deciding to fire him for basketball reasons. It also wouldn’t be surprising if there are execs around the NBA who have, in fact, created hostile workplaces and have become increasingly concerned about facing consequences for their actions.

While it remains to be seen how the Olshey situation will play out, the Blazers have at least been relatively transparent about the probe so far. The team hired an independent firm to conduct the investigation into Olshey and publicly identified that firm (O’Melveny & Myers). We’ll see if the organization is as transparent about O’Melveny & Myers’ findings.

Blazers Notes: Lineups, Nance, Little, Powell

November 18th, 2021 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Since head coach Chauncey Billups criticized the team’s compete level on Sunday and suggested that lineup changes could be coming, the Trail Blazers have reeled off wins against Toronto and Chicago this week, pushing their record back up to .500 (8-8).

The Blazers didn’t make any changes to their starting lineup in those two games, but the team is leaning a little more on reserves Larry Nance Jr. and Nassir Little, who played more total minutes in the last two games than starters Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington.

When Nance and Little played the entire fourth quarter vs. Toronto on Monday while Nurkic and Covington sat on the bench, Billups was asked about the decision. As Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian tweets, the first-year coach said it was more about matchups vs. Toronto than an indication of imminent lineup changes. Still, it seems clear Nance and Little have earned bigger roles with their play so far.

Here’s more on the Blazers:

After averaging just 17.2 MPG and never playing more than 22 minutes in any of his first 11 games in Portland, Nance has averaged 22.9 MPG in his last five games. That’s a byproduct of the Blazers getting a better sense of how best to use him, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. “When he came here I wasn’t sure if he was a four that could play five, or a five that could play some four,” Billups said. “Right now, I’m pretty confident that he is a five who could play four, too. But we are better served with him at that small-ball five.”
For his part, Nance said he’s glad his role has evolved organically rather than having it become an issue the team needed to focus on and figure out. “I think it’s a great thing that we didn’t have to sit down and have a pow-wow about, ‘What’s going on? How do we get Larry involved?'” Nance said, per Quick. “(Billups) knows I’m a guy who you just put me on the floor and I will figure it out. And I pride myself in not being a squeaky wheel.”
The Blazers’ game vs. the Raptors on Monday was a reminder that last season’s Norman Powell/Gary Trent Jr. swap is working out pretty well for both teams, as Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Powell has remained a highly efficient scorer in Portland this season, averaging 16.8 PPG on .494/.438/.818 shooting, while Trent has been a ball hawk on defense in Toronto, leading the NBA in total deflections and steals.
Powell signed a new five-year, $90MM deal with the Blazers during the offseason, but he’s determined not to get complacent after securing a life-changing payday. “I never really looked at the money as, like, (an) indicator of how good I’ve been,” Powell said on Monday, per Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “It’s always been the expectations and goals that I’ve set out for myself … and can I get better? There’s no doubt the money will come if I keep doing those things, and it has, and I’m still hungry for more goals.”

Billups Expresses Frustration With Blazers’ Compete Level

November 15th, 2021 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

The up-and-down Trail Blazers had perhaps their worst game of the season on Sunday in Denver, losing by 29 points to the Nuggets and falling to 6-8. While Portland was playing without star point guard Damian Lillard, Denver was missing Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Will Barton.

Following the loss, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups expressed displeasure with his club’s compete level, as detailed in stories from Jason Quick of The Athletic and Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

“I’m confused,” Billups said. “I don’t think we came to compete in this game. I mean, this is a team that beat us in the playoffs last year. And we come out and don’t even compete in the first quarter. Kind of … a little disappointed in that. The effort. Just no fight. No fight.”

Asked about the possibility of making lineup or rotation adjustments to shake things up for the Blazers, Billups suggested that changes could be around the corner.

“It’s coming. That point is coming soon,” Billups said. “If we continue to play like that … because if you think about it, you keep playing that way, at some point I have to look at it and say something isn’t quite working. And then maybe think about shifting some things around.”

In Quick’s view, changes seem most likely to come at power forward and/or center, since Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic have been inconsistent so far this season, while bench players like Nassir Little, Larry Nance Jr., and Cody Zeller have provided more stability. Billups, who said earlier this month that Covington “could be better defensively,” stated on Sunday that he’s been happy with the effort he’s seeing from his reserves, including Anfernee Simons, Dennis Smith Jr., Little, and Nance.

“All of the second unit played as hard as we need them to play,” Billups said. “The first unit, they didn’t have it.”

The first-year head coach acknowledged that Portland had a busy schedule during the last week, playing four road games in six days. However, Billups didn’t view fatigue as a viable excuse for the team’s lack of effort.

“I just think there is no real reason to not have effort,” Billups said. “We’ve had a lot of games, so I can see being tired. … I can see if we come out and play our behinds off, but we just run out of gas. I can live with that. I don’t like losing like this. That game was over.”