New year, same old Portland Trail Blazers.
The Golden State Warriors spoiled the Blazers’ home opener with a tough loss, beating them 139-104 in a game in which they led by as many as 37 points.
That’s why Chauncey Billups wasn’t very pleased with what he saw from his team.
Following the loss, the former NBA champion claimed that he didn’t think any of his players actually played well in the season opener (Via Sean Highkin).
Chauncey Billups: "I didn't think one guy on our team played well tonight."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) October 24, 2024
The Blazers were without key contributors, such as Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III, and Shaedon Sharpe, who are still nursing injuries.
Even so, that wasn’t much of an excuse for the lack of effort on the defensive end.
Scoot Henderson came off the bench and put up a team-high 22 points, but the former No. 3 pick continued to struggle with efficiency, shooting just 7 of 18 from the floor.
On the bright side, the Blazers had six guys — all their starters, plus Henderson — score in double digits, but they didn’t get much offensive production from anybody else in the second unit.
They shot 39% from the floor and 23% from beyond the arc, and they were out-rebounded by 15.
Also, they only scored five fast-break points in the entire game, all while handing out just 21 assists.
It wasn’t a good showing for the Blazers overall.
They’re not expected to be a playoff team, but Billups might be on the hot seat anyway, as they haven’t shown many signs of progress or development under his tutelage, and that was supposed to be a point of emphasis there.
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