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Just six weeks into his archetypal play arsenic a caput coach, Tyronn Lue’s person finds himself navigating existent adversity.
Fortunately for Chauncey Billups, Lue – whose 4 afloat NBA seasons arsenic a caput manager person presented acquisition and occurrence aplenty – has made himself disposable to dispense advice.
The Clippers’ manager spent Sunday evening with Billups, his erstwhile adjunct who this play has taken the reins successful Portland.
Before their teams sparred, they got unneurotic to ticker the Gervonta Davis-Isaac Cruz boxing lucifer – and to sermon the authorities of their teams, Billups said earlier tipoff Monday, via Zoom.
“I did link with him past night, we watched the combat past nighttime unneurotic and we talked a small spot astir our team, what we’re going through, benignant of what they’re going through,” said Billups, whose Blazers’ turbulent commencement included the firing of General Manager and President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey aft a workplace misconduct investigation.
There person been issues connected the court, too. Billups’ short-handed Blazers (they were without Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little connected Monday) entered the crippled with the NBA’s worst antiaircraft standing and having suffered blowout losses successful 2 consecutive location games, to San Antonio and Boston.
Those defeats spurred Billups’ disapproval aft the Blazers’ 145-117 nonaccomplishment to the Celtics: “Competitive occurrence and pride, that’s thing you either person oregon don’t have. That’s thing you can’t crook disconnected and crook on. … I’ve ne'er seen a squad that needs its seat to animate our starters. That (stuff) is brainsick to me. It’s expected to beryllium the different mode around.”
It would look the 2 aged friends had a batch of worldly to speech about.
Especially due to the fact that 1 of them, though lone 44 years old, has weathered the ups and downs of coaching and travel retired connected top, oregon adjacent to it – starring Cleveland to 3 consecutive NBA Finals, including its archetypal title and then, with Billups astatine his side, steering the Clippers to their archetypal Western Conference finals quality past season.
Of course, Lue’s squad besides had mislaid 7 of 10, making country for immoderate commiserating, possibly.
“We decidedly person immoderate conversations,” Billups said. “Obviously he’s been done a ton successful his career, successful those Cleveland years, for the astir part, truthful I ever similar to thin connected guys similar him, and adjacent immoderate different coaches and erstwhile coaches too.”
KENNARD GETS START
Lue wasn’t going to stock 1 happening with Billups until helium perfectly had to – his starting lineup.
Typically consenting to divulge his starters during his pregame media league 90 minutes oregon truthful earlier tipoff, Lue stayed mum astir his plans to insert Luke Kennard into the starting lineup for the archetypal clip this play until the lineups officially were released astatine 6:30 p.m.
Kennard, a fifth-year sharpshooter, entered Monday averaging 27.6 minutes per crippled disconnected the seat – successful which he’s enactment up 10.5 points per crippled connected 43.0% shooting (including 42.6% from 3-point scope connected 5.9 attempts).
In his 17 starts past season, Kennard averaged 29.4 minutes, compared to 15.9 arsenic a reserve, and helium scored an mean of 12.9 points connected 45.9% shooting (including 41.4% from down the arc connected 5.1 attempts) arsenic a starter.
The determination meant Eric Bledsoe came disconnected the seat for the 3rd consecutive game. A starter alongside Reggie Jackson to commencement the season, Bledsoe has been assigned to enactment with the 2nd portion –a determination that he’s handled with grace, Lue said.
“He’s a professional,” Lue said earlier the game, via Zoom. “He wants to win. Had nary occupation with it astatine all. He said, ‘Whatever you privation to bash Coach, I’m connected board.’ And truthful those are the benignant of players you need.”
As a reserve, Bledsoe had 8 points and 4 assists successful a triumph against the Lakers connected Friday, and though helium changeable 0 for 7 successful the Clippers’ nonaccomplishment successful Sacramento connected Saturday, helium finished that crippled with 7 assists and nary turnovers successful 18 minutes.
His pairing with reserve halfway Isaiah Hartenstein has looked particularly promising.
“Bled made my beingness easy,” Hartenstein said Friday, erstwhile 2 of his 5 baskets were acceptable up by Bledsoe. “The past mates games, we weren’t truly moving galore pick-and-rolls and so, I deliberation it was similar the 2nd 4th oregon something, helium was like, ‘Yo, let’s get much successful the pick-and-roll and bash it similar that.’
“And truthful conscionable communication, I deliberation Bled coming to me, talking to maine similar what helium sees oregon vice versa, helped a batch and he’s large successful the pick-and-roll, helium finds maine astir of the time, truthful couldn’t kick astir that.”
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