Blazers’ Chauncey Billups units file straight on Deni Avdija ‘finest participant’ feedback

Chauncey Billups and the Portland Path Blazers didn’t see many modifications to their roster this offseason as they proceed to rebuild. Nevertheless, the staff did make one underrated transfer out of left subject once they acquired ahead Deni Avdija from the Washington Wizards hours earlier than the beginning of the 2024 NBA Draft in June.

Avdija, who was chosen ninth general in 2020 by the Wizards, had been one of many league’s most improved gamers through the 2023-24 season. Other than scoring, Avdija elevated his general capturing manufacturing, rebounding manufacturing, and skill to be a secondary playmaker on the perimeter. That’s the reason many nodded in approval when the Blazers acquired the 23-year-old on the value of Malcolm Brogdon, the 14th general decide within the 2024 NBA Draft, a future first-round decide, and two second-round picks.

As coaching camps across the league started this previous week, studies about Billups calling Avdija the staff’s finest gamers started to floor. Clearly, these feedback result in a number of social media discussions about Billups’ perception within the staff, particularly since key abilities like Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, and Anfernee Simons headlined the roster final yr.

Forward of his Corridor of Fame induction on October 13, Billups took a while to set the file straight on his ideas about Avdija, claiming that he by no means as soon as referred to as the brand new ahead the Blazers’ finest participant.

“Yesterday, I used to be doing an interview on Sirius Radio within the morning with Sam Mitchell and one other host, they usually had stated that,” Billups claimed concerning the unsourced feedback about him calling Avdija Portland’s finest participant, in response to Blazers reporter Aaron Fentress. “They had been like, ‘Yeah, so we heard that you simply stated Deni Avdija is your finest participant.’ I stated, ‘I by no means stated that. I do not know the place that got here from.’ Deni is one in every of our higher gamers; do not get me improper, however I by no means stated he was our greatest participant. I would not say that he is our greatest participant, however he is a really priceless participant to us.

“I’m so excited to teach him. I do not know the place the hell that got here from, although.”

Billups additionally made it clear that there have been a number of gamers through the early levels of coaching camp that he has pinpointed as the most effective on the staff in a sure drill or side of play, which is the place confusion and misquoting occurred.

The underside line concerning Billups and the Blazers is that this franchise is rebuilding. There is not essentially a transparent sense of path proper now, and the group is solely approaching the 2024-25 season with the mindset of ready to see what transpires with the group that they’ve assembled.

Portland doesn’t have a bad-looking roster by any means, particularly once you go down the checklist of proficient gamers on their roster who may contribute on title-contending groups. On the similar time, the Blazers are additionally not in any place to really contend for a playoff spot after successful solely 21 video games a season in the past.

As he enters his fourth season as the pinnacle coach of the staff, Billups now faces much more strain in Portland since he has by no means eclipsed 33 wins in a single season. After including Avdija within the offseason and having one other yr to develop his younger abilities, Billups will certainly be underneath the microscope from the Path Blazers’ management over the course of the upcoming yr.