Portland Media: Billups Has Seriously Harmed the Trail Blazers, Becoming the Worst Head Coach in Team History

On October 24th Beijing time, according to reporter Shams, the Billups gambling case is unlikely to have any concrete outcome for 6 to 12 months. So, how will this affect the Trail Blazers' 2025-26 season? Portland media outlet Blazer's Edge provided an in-depth analysis, stating that Billups has caused significant damage to the team and is undoubtedly the worst head coach in franchise history. Here is their detailed breakdown—

What impact does this situation have on the Trail Blazers? The answer is clear: the outlook is grim.

NBA coaches who take over mid-season often complain about the “lack of a full training camp to integrate players and tactical systems,” andalthough the Trail Blazers just completed a full training camp, they faced a “collapse of the tactical system” after playing only one game this season.

A team's growth and success depend not only on building new tactics but also on getting players to accept and execute those tactics, maintaining determination and execution through the long 82-game season, regardless of good or bad times—these all require coaching guidance.

Billups had advantages in these areas: his experience and understanding of the current players gave him considerable authority within the team.

It should be noted that when the Trail Blazers renewed Billups’ contract this spring, he was the NBA coach with the worst single-team record to still receive a renewal. If the management wanted to fire him then, they had every reason; however, they chose to extend his contract, which made Billups “invulnerable” when facing player doubts, opposition, or protests—even if he started five G League players and caused a 15-game losing streak at the start, the management might still not fire him.

This authority gave Billups leverage in pushing tactical changes this season: if he decided Grant should come off the bench, Grant had to accept it; if he required Shaedon Sharpe to focus on defense or face the bench, Sharpe had to improve defensively; even during losing streaks, as long as Billups insisted on the current system, players had no choice but to obey—this team was not “making decisions based on facts,” but rather “owned by Billups.”

However, interim coach Splitt does not have this advantage: first, the current tactical system was not built by him, and no one knows how much he supports it; second, even if he fully agrees with the system, he lacks the experience to earn players’ respect. Imagine if the Trail Blazers lose to the Warriors and Clippers this weekend (which could happen even if Billups coached), and Grant performs like a starter in two consecutive games (e.g., scoring 25 points in one game), can Splitt look him in the eye and say “You still can’t start”? Even if he insists, can he suppress a player “with more NBA head coaching experience” than himself? Keep in mind,Splitt joined the team only a few months ago and has never been an NBA head coach before.

Assuming the Trail Blazers start 3-10 (which could happen even under Billups), can Splitt make players stick to the current tactics, or must he adjust? If adjustments are made, the team essentially restarts without a training camp, tactical foundation, or proof of winning—an obviously difficult challenge.

Furthermore, relationships between players and the team, and among players themselves, will be affected: yesterday they had clear goals, but now they are confused—who is the new head coach? Will tactics change? When and who leads practice today? How will training intensity and duration differ? Will the starting lineup be altered? What about rotation patterns? Who do players turn to with questions? Players have built trust and chemistry with Billups over the past three years; will Splitt honor these bonds or start from scratch?

From details to the big picture, the Trail Blazers have fallen into chaos. They might restore order eventually, but before that, “someone will be affected” is inevitable—the difference lies in “who is affected and how deeply.”

At this moment, Trail Blazers fans should be thankful the team has Lillard and Jrue Holiday—not saying they can necessarily stabilize things (they might even become the center of the team’s power struggles), but if anyone can bring stability, it’s them. In hindsight, signing these two players was a highly foresighted decision.

However, this does not change one fact:The Trail Blazers are at a crucial point aiming for better performance but are facing an unprecedented off-court crisis—like a plane just taking off while passengers watch the pilot leave with a parachute on his back.No matter how the team responds, expectations must be lowered; for now, just managing to get through this crisis with a relatively intact team is already a big challenge.

Undoubtedly,Billups has caused severe damage to the Trail Blazers. Regardless of his intentions or motives, whatever he gained or aimed to achieve, and whatever the final legal outcome (unless he is completely exonerated),he has become “the worst head coach in Trail Blazers history” and possibly one of the “worst in NBA history.”Even in their best times, the Trail Blazers could not bear such a blow, and now they must face this reality.