The Portland Trail Blazers are in the midst of a rebuild after trading Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks last summer. In this 2023-24 campaign, they have one of the worst records in the NBA at 21-57 and are likely headed to the draft lottery.
Given their current roster, it feels like their situation will get worse before it gets better, but Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups believes otherwise, saying they can do much better starting next season.
“It’s been a tough couple of years for us, three now. We’ve just had so much influx on our roster and so much bad luck with health and things like that. And I’m just here every day grinding through it,” Billups said via Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
“I’m helping my guys the best way I can, and just hoping that the next time around, next year, we’re healthy, we’re better, and our roster is ready to really, really compete,” he added.
Why Chauncey Billups has faith in the Portland Trail Blazers’ rebuild
Chauncey Billups has a positive outlook about the Portland Trail Blazers’ future because of the young talent they have on their roster right now.
The 24-year-old Anfernee Simons has emerged as the team’s top offensive option, averaging 22.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Deandre Ayton, meanwhile, is also thriving as the Portland Trail Blazers center, posting norms of 16.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while shooting 57.6 percent from the field.
The Portland Trail Blazers also have Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, who both have huge upsides. Before he was confirmed to be out for the rest of the 2023-24 season , Sharpe averaged 15.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while rookie guard Scoot Henderson is averaging 13.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
The Portland Trail Blazers need a few more pieces to be more competitive next season, and drafting well in this summer’s NBA Draft is a good place to start.
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