Jason Quick of ‘The Athletic’<\/a> that the idea of firing Billups \u201chasn\u2019t even crossed [their] minds.\u201d<\/p>\nBillups has also received endorsements from several of Portland\u2019s most important players, including Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and (of most importance) Damian Lillard. Grant, who is eligible for free agency this upcoming offseason, said that outsiders calling for Billups to be fired are \u201cstupid,\u201d adding that he remains \u201cready to run through a wall\u201d for his coach.<\/p>\n
For his part, Billups told Quick that he is in frequent contact with Blazers general manager Joe Cronin and is not particularly concerned about his job security.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t worry about that, at all,\u201d Billups said. \u201cWe have our talks and everything, and that will remain between us, but I don\u2019t worry about that at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Billups, who will have three years remaining on his contract at the start of the 2023-24 season, has led the Blazers to a 58-94 (.382) record since taking the reins from Terry Stotts. Portland had hoped the first-time head coach could help stabilize a defense that had been one of the NBA\u2019s worst during Stotts\u2019 final seasons with the organization, but at least to date, there has been no real improvement in that area \u2014 the Blazers ranked 29th in defensive rating in 2021-22 and currently sit at 27th in 2022-23.<\/p>\n
Still, as Quick points out, Billups has not been dealt an easy hand in Portland. The team underwent a front office overhaul just months after his hiring and saw its franchise player (Lillard) limited to just 29 games during his inaugural run with the Blazers due to a major abdominal injury. Several key players, including CJ McCollum, Norman Powell, Robert Covington and Larry Nance Jr. were traded at the 2022 deadline while others \u2013 Josh Hart and Gary Payton II \u2013 were moved this winter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been unbelievable \u2026 crazy,\u201d Billups said of the Blazers\u2019 front office turmoil, injury woes and roster turnover. \u201cHow is that my fault? Last year I had so many coaches who are either in the league or past coaches saying, \u2018Bro, I\u2019ve coached 15, 17 years and I didn\u2019t go through that once.\u2019<\/p>\n
Acknowledging that his win-loss record has not passed muster, Billups said that his performance should also be evaluated based on the culture he has helped cultivate in Portland, the buy-in he has gotten from his players and the progress he has made in developing the Blazers\u2019 youngsters, including Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and Nassir Little.<\/p>\n
By his own metrics, Billups rated himself \u201cgood\u201d on the first point and \u201cvery good\u201d on the other two.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n