Blazers News: Chauncey Billups Having Hard Time Getting Through to Crucial Player

Chauncey Billups has been having a hard time working through the gameplan with one crucial player.

The Portland Trail Blazers have started the season out 1-2 after taking down the New Orleans Pelicans for their first win. It was a total team effort and showed how competitive the Trail Blazers could be this season.

While Portland isn't likely to contend this year, they can use this season to grow and develop. They have multiple young players on the roster who need time and reps in the NBA so each game presents new opportunities for them to thrive.

One player that the Trail Blazers are particularly high on is Deni Avdija. He was acquired over the offseason from the Washington Wizards and has been expected to be one of the focal points of the offensive attack. His 3-point shooting needs to be more consistent but Portland has been working on it with him.

However, he has struggled a little to start his time in Portland. Head coach Chauncey Billups spoke about this and said that he was still trying to figure out how to use him as a player.

“I got to run stuff for him and get some shots for him,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “But more than anything, we’re all just trying to get to know Deni and vice versa.” Avdija finished with 11 points.

It may take some time for Avdija to settle in with the Blazers considering he is new to the organization. But Portland believes in him and is excited about what he brings to the table.

Earlier in the offseason, Billups called Avdija a "swiss-army knife" type of player.

“Deni is just a basketball player, so you kind of use him all over the place,” Billups said. “He’s also a really good secondary playmaker. He can really pass. He’s kind of a Swiss Army knife-type of dude in terms of you can use them as a screener, obviously his shot has gotten a lot better. He can finish. We’ll be using him all over.”

His fit with this young Portland team seems to be strong but he just needs to adjust to the new system. Avjida has shown strong scoring abilities in his career so he could be impactful for Portland.

His performances should improve as the year goes on but it's a good sign that Portland was able to take down New Orleans for their first win.

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