On March 25, 2024, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups rolled out a surprising starting lineup against the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. All five players were rookies, considering the team had most of their veterans out with injuries.
Billups started Scoot Henderson , Rayan Rupert, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, and Duop Reath. Chauncey's surprising decision almost paid off, as the Blazers lost by a narrow 111-114 score. The game showcased that Portland might be a bad team now, but the young roster has untapped potential.
The unique starting lineup led to discourse around the NBA landscape, with former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson talking about it in his podcast, the Mark Jackson Show.
"With all due respect, absolutely. That's Chauncey Billups, who is a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame. Five-time All-Star, NBA Champ, Finals MVP, and he's doing an outstanding job at developing a culture in that Portland Trail Blazers team," Jackson said on his podcast. "Billups has done an outstanding job at maturing that young talent, getting them to compete on a nightly basis. Overmatched, night in and night out talent-wise, but they are establishing a culture and habits that are sustainable moving forward."
The tantalizing potential of the Trail Blazers
While most people will look at the Trail Blazers and see them as the 14th seed in the Western Conference, progress is happening there. It is a team that just parted ways with their arguably greatest-ever player, Damian Lillard, which has sent them into a complete rebuild .
The team has some reliable veterans like Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon, but most of the team consists of young and high-potential players. Portland wants to build with these promising youngsters like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. They've even scooped up some gems in the NBA Draft's second round with Jabari Walker and Toumani Camara.
"I think we have so much growth and development that needs to happen," Billups said after the game. "Obviously, we know we're not going to the playoffs. But these dudes need to get better. They need to get to know each other while playing. The only way you get better at basketball is by playing basketball."
This Blazers team is doing well in their rebuild by accumulating the most talented prospects possible. Of course, they are not the best team yet due to their lack of experience, but Billups recognized the players' talents and skill sets when he started all five rookies against Denver and Houston.
The other instance of five rookie starters
The Blazers starting five rookies in a game was not the first time that happened. Jackson was the first coach to do it in 2012 when he rolled out a starting lineup of Klay Thompson, Charles Jenkins, Chris Wright, and Jeremy Tyler.
It's likely why Jackson respects what Billups did, given his experience doing it. The decision also empowers some rookies who haven't played many minutes in previous games. That was the case for Billups playing Rupert, a likable prospect in the Portland fan base due to his high potential as a three-and-D player.
Chauncey believes in Portland's youngsters as the team's rebuild continues. He wants to get the most out of them to determine which players, alongside Henderson, Sharpe, and potentially Anfernee Simons , would be part of the long-term plan.
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