Despite Loss, Chauncey Billups Impressed With Blazers Effort vs New Orleans

Ricardo Klein | Oct 26, 2024

Oct 18, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups watches pre-game festivities before a game against the Utah Jazz at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers faced their second loss of the season Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, falling 105-103 in a game that showed a lot more fight than their season opener. Despite the narrow defeat, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was encouraged by what he saw from his team. 

Following a tough 140-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors—a 36-point blowout—Billups emphasized that he expects his team to remain competitive, even if they aren’t favored to win many games this season. On Friday, they delivered on that expectation.

“Definitely this is more who we are,” Portland head coach Chauncey Billups said after the game. “We’re gonna compete, we’re gonna scrap. … We didn’t come up with the win, but we played our butts off.”

The Trail Blazers led the Pelicans by as many as 16 points and even topped a handful of key categories, including assists, blocks, defensive rebounds, and points in the paint. This solid showing highlighted the team's ability to bounce back quickly, focusing on energy and execution.

It’s a trait Billups wants to build as he works with a young roster still finding its identity.

Second-year guard Scoot Henderson was a standout for Portland. He contributed 15 points on an efficient 7-for-9 shooting from the field, including 1-for-3 from three-point range, along with six assists, three steals, and a rebound. 

While Henderson has faced the typical early challenges of a young player in the NBA, he’s shown flashes of the skill and poise that Portland hopes to build around. At just 20 years old, he’s developing his role and aiming to become a consistent leader for the Blazers.

It’s true that Portland isn’t projected to rack up wins this year, and they’re likely to be in the mix for a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, the organization wants to remain competitive and avoid being written off. With a team that blends potential and hustle, the Trail Blazers aim to give opponents a fight night after night, avoiding the blowouts that marked last season’s rough patches.

The Trail Blazers have a young nucleus that they hope develops this season and eventually takes the next step in the near future. Henderson, Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, and the rest will be looked upon as the staples in Portland.

The Trail Blazers now look to avoid an 0-3 start when they face the Pelicans again on Sunday. The rematch tips off at 3 p.m. PT, and Portland will hope to build on their Friday effort and give fans a glimpse of the resilience that they’re working to establish.

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