Chauncey Billups Talks Training Camp, Upcoming Road Trip, and More | Portland Trail Blazers

Chauncey Billups Talks Training Camp, Upcoming Road Trip, and More | Portland Trail Blazers

[Music] Coach, tomorrow heading out on the road. I know you always would like more time, but how ready do you feel right now? Uh, I mean, we’re having a pretty good camp right now. You know, to me, it’s still early. It’s still really early in camp. Camp doesn’t end till after the last preseason game in my eyes. So, um, it’s going good right now. We got some things in. We got a lot of things that we don’t have in, but that’s kind of normal for where we’re at. But uh I’m sure our guys are excited to just play against somebody else. A lot of people during this weekend last been talking about the play from Shaden. What’s impressed you most about him? I mean, he’s just been really good. I mean, obviously his shot making and how gifted he is offensively is has been on display every day. Um but the defensive end, I think he’s doing a lot better there. Doing a lot better um helping rebound the ball. um some focus areas, you know, that he’s uh he’s done a really good job. You know what you’re going to do yet on Wednesday as far as starters and gets and stuff? No, not yet. Not yet. Not yet. It’s still early. What did you So far after this short stretch, what would you like to see the team get better at? Where where would you like to see them pick it up? Um I think the biggest thing for us is we just need to get a little bit more comfortable um in things that we doing on both sides of the ball. Um, I think you can only do that over time and with reps and, you know, I’m happy to have these games, you know. Um, cuz we can scrimmage and we go extremely hard and we do all the the best we can, you know, but there’s nothing like a game, man. It just isn’t. So just getting more familiar with all of our stuff, you know, I think will help us kind of just like learning the offense and where need to be. Learning more of the offense, you know, will be good for us, where to be at. We have a lot of interchangeable pieces, you know, this guy’s uh initiating this action like it just just we got a lot of guys that’ll be dribbling and handling the ball a lot more than they’re used to. So, um, getting used to that. Take me back, compare and contrast last year, this time in camp to now with with Donovan and just him being in better shape and and what he looked like then compared to what he looks like now. Well, one, physically he looks different. Um, you look at his body and you see the hard work he’s put in over the summer, you know, and two, mentally, you know, he knows what to expect now. Been through an entire season. uh his leadership, his his his voice, um him talking on defense out there and him it’s just it’s like night and day. It really is and that’s what you want to see, you know, for a guy coming into his second year who logged quite a quite a few minutes last year. So, uh I I would say if he was in college, like it’s it’s the difference between being really it’s different between being a freshman and and an incoming senior. That’s the education he got last year. Yeah. Yeah. How’s uh how’s Rob’s recovery along the way? Like, do you feel optimistic about him maybe being able to clear for some contact word during the preseason? Yeah, I’m not sure, but I I’m been very happy with uh what he’s been able to continue to keep doing. You know, he’s he’s joining us for a lot of non-cont stuff and a lot of script stuff. Um which we’re very very happy with. Um so, I’m happy with where Rob is at. Have you seen uh or have you seen Tumani’s offense expand since last season? And if so, kind of in what areas? Yeah, I mean, he’s shooting it better. Um even though I thought he shot it just just fine last year. Um the biggest difference I would say offensively is is I think um his playmaking is so much better. He’s so much more uh poised when he gets to the paint to not like jump off of one foot, be out of control, and make a tough pass. I’m sorry, Brooke. Um he’s he’s more he’s more calm there. You know, he’s he’s seeing some of the things. Um and then also I think his his finishing has been better around the rim. He got himself in some tough spots last year where he was just kind of get in the air and try something. Um it’s been less of that, you know, cuz I think it’s, you know, he’s he’s slowing down a little bit. Seems like putting the ball on the floor a little bit more, too. A little play both ways. His playmaking has been been so much better, man. After the success of last season, has he been taking a more vocal leadership role with his teammates this season? Yeah. Yeah. Two too. He continues to take on some leadership, you know, he has some leadership qualities already. I’ve been knowing that since the day I first started coaching him. Um, now his voice is starting to get a little more a little louder, more confident. I tell him all the time. with the way that he lays it on the line defensively. Um, he can challenge anybody on the team, you know, because they know that he’s actually whatever he says he’s actually doing. Um, and that’s what leaders do. Way to describe his importance to your defense, what he brings on the side of kind of your heartbeat. He he’s the heart and soul of of our defense. Uh, it starts with him. He’s always picking the ball up, you know, in most cases. Yeah. He he’s he’s the heart and soul. I don’t I don’t know any other way to say it. you vision with Memphis offense. When did that catch your eye and thought maybe that’s something you want to integrate in your Yeah, it caught my eye when they beat us by 40 last year. That’s pretty that’s pretty simple. Uh but yeah, I mean I love what they they they were doing with some of the cutting things and you know we we’ve we’ve they’re doing some of that not all of that. You know, I’ve merged a few different things together, but not just that one. But I love the cutting patterns and things that they were doing early in the season. Is it personnel based primarily or No, no. If you’re in a certain spot and the ball is going a certain direction, it doesn’t matter who you are, you got to cut. You got to you got to cut or you got to fill or you got to like you have a responsibility out there, you know? We I think we have a perfect team for it. We got length on the perimeter. We got cutters and slashers and guys that can make shots and you know I think it I think it should be just good for us. Couple more blocks a guy we haven’t really talked much about in camp. What kind of role do you see him having this year? Same one that he always has. Just always has to be ready. You know, we got a lot of centers. Um I love Watt because he’s a professional. He’s always ready to go. He’s a pick and pop five. He works extremely hard. He’s not gonna be upset when he doesn’t play. Even though he would like to play, he’s going to still be in the locker room with positivity and he’s the perfect kind of guy that he’s he’s that the coaches want to coach. When you say that Shaden’s playing well on on defense, what do you mean by that? Say again. When you say Shaden’s playing well on defense, what do you mean by that? Is it like a focus thing? Is he making more plays? He is a lot more focused, but um more than anything, he’s a lot more engaged. you know, uh obviously we know the physical gifts that he has. Um you want to be able to use those on both sides of the ball, you know, um and he’s he has the ability to do that, but he’s just understand he’s I want him to be seeing the play before it happens. I want him to jump certain routes. I want him to defensive rebound, you know. I want him to just all around be engaged and locked in on defensive end. We got to ask you one more because talking to Blake Wesley. Yep. What is it going to take for him to to earn minutes, do you think? Like what’s separating him from that? He’s doing a good job. He’s doing a good job. Um obviously, you know, scoop going down helped him out. Yeah. Yeah. You know, um but he again, he’s another one of those guys that these guys know I don’t lie to him. I don’t He understood and knew what his role could possibly be before he got here and knew that if Drew and Scooter are healthy, there’s chances are he’s not going to play for a week or two at a time. Who knows, you know? Um, and he respected my honesty on that. And he’s been playing his butt off, man. He really has been playing his butt off. He’s a young guy in this league trying to find himself. Um, something I know a little bit about. And so a couple areas that I told him will help him play is pushing that ball like crazy and picking up full and changing the pace and changing the game when you’re in there. And he’s taking that very seriously. Feel like we saw that at Fanfest. He’s taking serious good. Thank you. Let’s go.

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