After days of rumors, the Portland Trail Blazers have made it official: Chauncey Billups is now Damian Lillard's new head coach. Some fans are already celebrating, especially those familiar with Billups as a player and as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. However, this hiring did not just push through without a slew of controversies.

In particular, a 1997 rape allegation against Billups resurfaced. Reports reveal that no criminal charges were brought up and Billups settled a civil suit in 2000. Billups himself did not shy away from another investigation. The Blazers' front office looked at the case and did not find anything that would disqualify him from the coaching post.

However, this did not stop fans from slamming Damian Lillard on social media. The All-Star admitted to not knowing about the allegation but pointed out that he does not support such actions.

It would be interesting to see how this develops moving forward. Whatever the future holds for Lillard and the Blazers, it's still worth examining what Billups can bring to Portland. In fact, there are two main reasons why he's actually the perfect coach for Damian Lillard and the Blazers.

Similar playing style 

During his playing days, Chauncey Billups was tagged as a scoring guard. The term was relatively new then. Fans and analysts were still accustomed to seeing traditional guards whose playing style consisted of purely orchestrating the offense and handing out assists. This made Billups an unorthodox player during those days, but it still commanded respect from his foes.

Now, there are a ton of scoring guards, with Damian Lillard one of the best examples. We're all familiar with Lillard's offensive chops. The man can literally score from anywhere: through driving layups, normal 3-pointers, or 3-pointers from the logo. This similarity in their play will definitely play a part in their player-coach relationship.

In relation to their scoring prowess, both Lillard and Billups have that clutch gene in them. Billups was called Mr. Big Shot because he always showed up during the game's critical moments. Lillard doesn't need any coaching regarding this. He's very comfortable when the game is on the line. But some words of wisdom from Billups won't hurt.

Article Continues Below
More Portland Trail Blazers News
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) at Moda Center.
NBA rumors: Lakers insider drops eye-opening Blazers intel on potential trade candidateJulian Ojeda ·
Michael Porter Jr. photoshopped in Trail Blazers jersey (number 1)
Trail Blazers trade proposal for Michael Porter Jr. after postseason strugglesBailey Bassett ·
Austin Reaves (number 15) photoshopped in Trail Blazers jersey
Trail Blazers trade proposal for Austin Reaves lands Lakers a centerBailey Bassett ·
Malik Beasley playing basketball. Pistons logo in background.
Ranking 4 best Malik Beasley free-agency destinations if he leaves PistonsBailey Bassett ·
The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.
Ranking 3 best Fred VanVleet free-agency destinations if he leaves RocketsBailey Bassett ·
Ranking 5 best Darius Garland trade destinations if Cavs blow it up
Ranking 5 best Darius Garland trade destinations if Cavs blow it upJulian Ojeda ·

Besides, Billups probably has some great game-winning plays in his book. Maybe this is the time to finally unveil them.

Defensive Coach

Chauncey Billups was named to the All-Defensive Second Team twice in his career. During his stint with the Detroit Pistons, defense was their mantra and this is what actually led them to the title in 2004. In his lone tenure as the Clippers' assistant head coach, Billups helped the team finish with a 110.6 defensive rating in the regular season. This was actually a slight downgrade from the Clippers' 106.9 defensive rating (fifth in the NBA) in the season prior. However, let's not forget that the team went through a staff overhaul. So, overall, Billups still did a good job.

This is the aspect where the Blazers need Billups the most. In the regular season, the team had a 115.3 defensive rating, which ranked 29th in the league. They were actually the worst defensive team to qualify for the playoffs. A quick look back at the previous seasons reveals that the Blazers have a struggled defensive for a while now. This is a reason why they do well in the regular season but get booted out so easily in the playoffs.

With Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the fold (for now), we can say that the offense will take care of itself. The Blazers have had no problems putting the ball into the basket. On the defensive end, fans should expect tighter, well-organized schemes.

The Blazers will likely make the postseason once again. If they make a deeper run, then credit should be given to Billups for a splendid job.