Chauncey Billups is tasked with navigating the Portland Trail Blazers following the Damian Lillard trade. The former champion recently opened up on a meltdown he had on the young squad.
During a recent matchup against the Utah Jazz, the Blazers were down big. While the game was going on, Chauncey Billups said he saw something he wasn't expecting – players smiling and enjoying themselves.
"What the f*** we laughing at?" Billups remembers shouting. "I don't see nothing funny right now! We are getting our a**es kicked."
In the midst of a rebuild, Portland finds itself with one of the worst records in the Western Conference. Through 19 games, it sits at 6-13. The only teams with a worse record than them are the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.
Billups had a successful career as a player, but his coaching tenure is not off to the start he may have hoped. In the midst of his third season as an NBA head coach, he has a record of 66-117 and has failed to reach the postseason.
Chauncey Billups' meltdown had a positive effect on the Trail Blazers
In most cases, seeing their coach go off in a blowout game would have deterred players even more. However, it ended up being a rallying cry for the Portland Trail Blazers. While they didn't end up beating the Utah Jazz that night, they did erase a 16-point deficit and take the game into overtime.
Among the players Chauncey Billups had the meltdown on was Matisse Thybulle. The defensive-minded wing was traded to Portland last year from the Philadelphia 76ers, and inked a big extension in the offseason. When detailing the situation, Thybulle stated that Billups' meltdown was a bit of a wake-up call for them.
"Yeah. We were goofing off and laughing in a game we were losing, and he comes down and has some choice words, and we were like ... 'Yeah, you know what? He might be right,'" Thybulle said.
This is a crucial year for the Blazers, as it is the first season since trading away franchise pillar Damian Lillard. Despite not having a clear star, Portland still has a mix of young talent and veterans to be competitive. Knowing this, Billups has no intentions of letting his group lose focus throughout the long regular season.