Five-time NBA All-Star Chauncey Billups has actually become a candidate in the Indiana Pacers training search, sources informed ESPN.
As the Pacers begin initial interviews with a variety of candidates, Billups and group authorities have recently engaged and are planning to talk more about the job, sources said Wednesday.
Billups, 43, fits the historical profile of previous Pacers coaches Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas: NBA Finals MVPs considered generational group leaders of guys– who were worked with without coaching experience.
Pacers president Kevin Pritchard and basic manager Chad Buchanan werent running the Pacers in the early 2000s and late 1990s, but famous executive Donnie Walsh made those hires and stays on staff– in addition to Bird– as an expert. Billups has turned down front-office opportunities because his retirement in 2014, however he has actually turned his focus toward moving from the broadcast booth into training.
2 RelatedClippers assistant Ty Lue has discussed with Billups the possibility of him joining Lue as his top assistant coach ought to he land a head-coaching job this offseason, sources said. The Pacers provide a special opportunity for Billups, given that its not a task– unlike Philadelphia and New Orleans– for which Lue looms as a prospect.
Billups himself has served as something of a finishing school for a number of top NBA guards over the last few years, consisting of 2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals– Torontos Kyle Lowry and Bostons Marcus Smart– who each credit time spent with Billups as invaluable in their profession growth and development.
The Brooklyn Nets employed Steve Nash– a contemporary of Billups– without pro training experience, but he did have the benefit of a long-standing relationship with Nets GM Sean Marks. Billups has actually constructed relationships with the Pacers backcourt of Victor Oladipo and Malcolm Brogdon in the last few years, but theyre not running the Pacers search.
For the Pacers management team and Billups, there will be a process of getting to understand each other in these interviews and discussing the depth of Billups preparedness for the job– and how they d interact to construct a training personnel around him. Billups force of personality, management style and basketball savvy has long made many NBA executives think it was simply a matter of time till he landed a considerable role with an organization, but so far hes been looking for the best fit.
The Pacers are a perennial playoff team combating to advance past the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs after 4 straight years of ousters– with a hope that they can find a coach able to also develop a program for player advancement that will show development from within.
The Pacers fired coach Nate McMillan recently after four consecutive journeys to the playoffs– and four first-round exits.
Billups was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP for the Detroit Pistons, earning an NBA title and advancing to the finals once again in 2005 before losing a seven-game series to the San Antonio Spurs. Billups was a five-time All-Star and a four-time member of the leagues All-Defensive groups. He played a considerable function with effective teams throughout stops in Denver, New York and the LA Clippers later in his profession.
Billups was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP for the Detroit Pistons, making an NBA title and advancing to the finals again in 2005 before losing a seven-game series to the San Antonio Spurs. Billups was a five-time All-Star and a four-time member of the leagues All-Defensive groups. He played a significant function with successful teams during stops in Denver, New York and the LA Clippers later on in his profession.
