The Portland Trail Blazers have expanded their Chauncy Billup. This could mean that the rebuild is over, but are you ready to compete for the playoffs?
On April 13, it was announced that the Portland Trail Blazers would extend head coach Chauncy Billup. Details of the expansion have not been revealed, but the team has the option to his contract to bring it up for the 2025-26 season.
The organization shows his faith in Billup, who has put together his fourth season with the Blazers, the only team he has ever led. Under him, they never made the playoffs, but after trading Damian Lillard for the Milwaukee Bucks, they were expected to take part in a multi-year rebuild.
There have been improvements, but the fanbase is divided into extensions, but it is clear that the continuity of coaching is suitable for developing younger teams.
Billups has had a .550 winning percentage since Jan. 19 – with Blazers ranking in top-five in defense during that span, per ESPN Research – while developing emerging talent in Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara. https://t.co/sCLjGYGwU8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 13, 2025
Portland has not hit a winning season under the building up, but there have been improvements. In the last 40 games this season, Portland has ranked third in the defensive rating, with injuries piling up and the youngsters receiving valuable minutes.
Billup created his own name as the first point guard for the Detroit Pistons in the mid-2000s. Billups won the Finals MVP and is a Hall of Fame player.
His playing career started at a slow start, allowing him to inspire the All-Stars, averaging 11.3 points for four teams in his first five seasons. Portland hopes that his coaching career will have a similar arc and continues to invest in him.
Key players like Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara are all improving and thriving under the building up, with Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan both showing the flash.
But the Blazers have veterans like Jerami Grant, DeAndre Ayton, Amphenie Simons and Robert Williams. They’ve limited the movement and flexibility of Portland youth, exceeding their fair share of their rooms in minutes and pay caps.
The young core is in place, with six first round draft picks between now and 2031, and the Blazers are on the rise, but the bill-ups weren’t perfect.
Throughout the first 41 games of the season, Portland was 13-28. In the last 40 games, they have become a much more respectable 22-18.
On the one hand, improvements tanked draft lottery odds, while on the other hand, they gave fans a reason to believe in the younger core.
During the loss stretch to start the season, Billup relied on more experienced players who simply couldn’t get the job done. He was accused of ruining the developmental steps for young talent.
As injuries piled up, Billup was forced to give the younger group playing time, and not only did the team start to win, but internal improvements surged.
| player | year | Total (first 41 games) | Total) Last 41 games) |
| Toumani Camara | twenty four | 1,252 | 1,276 |
| Anfernee Simons | twenty five | 1,214 | 1,076 |
| Straw Grant | 30 | 973 | 552 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | twenty one | 1,041 | 1,208 |
| Deandre Ayton | 26 | 891 | 319 |
| Denni Avdi | twenty four | 1,062 | 1,137 |
| Scoot Henderson | 20 | 899 | 892 |
| Donovan Klingan | 20 | 516 | 785 |
| Robert Williams | 27 | 235 | 116 |
The team will quickly provide Billups credits, but some fans believe Grant, Williams and others have not been injured, but Billups has been hesitant to give the younger players a mid-season turnaround credits without increasing the minutes.
On all accounts, Billups appears to be a coach for players and have the trust of both his team and the front office, but if Portland doesn’t return to the postseason, he may not last long on the new expansion. For now, everything looks like pink in the town of roses.