The Chauncey Billups era in Portland may not have officially reached its conclusion, but the lack of success since he joined the team has caused many fans to question his viability as a long-term coaching option. While Billups wasn’t brought into an ideal situation to start his NBA coaching career, he hasn’t shown the ability to lead a team and manage in-game situations competently. I believe Chauncey has the pedigree from his days as a player to become a solid NBA head coach, but he wasn’t ready to take on this role as his first professional coaching job. The 81-165 record speaks for itself. The question then becomes, who do the Blazers target next?
There are a couple of long-time assistants who seem ready to make the jump to head coach status. Chris Quinn and Sam Cassell have been warming benches, waiting for their chance. While I wish them all the best, I think the young Trail Blazers roster needs a proven and steady hand at the helm. Following Kenny Atkinson’s hiring by the Cleveland Cavaliers, there is only one free agent head coach who fits that description: Frank Vogel.
Vogel has gotten a bad rap following his last two stints as a head coach. After winning the 2020 title with the Lakers, he had to deal with a tremendous amount of player and personnel turnover with the hopes of continuing to compete for the NBA’s top prize. After being bounced from LA, he was brought in as the Phoenix Suns head coach to manage the patch-worked three-headed monster of Booker, Durant, and Beal. Following an up-and-down regular season, the Timberwolves trounced the Suns in four games during this year’s playoffs. Unsurprisingly, the blame was directed towards the new head coach. This left Vogel without a job while still having one of the most proven track records in the NBA. After being unceremoniously fired by both the Lakers and the Suns, a change from these prominent star-studded teams could be precisely what Vogel needs to thrive as a head coach, and a young, talented, and hungry Trail Blazers team might be the perfect fit.
Something Vogel has consistently brought to the teams he’s coached is a defensive identity. From the start of his coaching career with the Indiana Pacers, Vogel instilled in his team a tough-nosed and physical style of play that produced excellent results. He was able to coach a team with Roy Hibbert as its second-best player to consecutive ECF appearances that legitimately challenged a Heat team led by LeBron and D-Wade at the peak of their powers. Under Vogel’s stewardship, Paul George catapulted into the top 10 and, at times, top 5 player conversation as the best player on those Pacers teams from 2012-2014. The constant talking point around those teams was the gritty brand of defense that all players enforced.
Frank Vogel’s defensive acumen is exactly what this young Trail Blazers team needs to build a solid foundation for future success. Throughout his coaching career, Vogel has maintained an impressive 107.3 defensive rating, a testament to his ability to instill a cohesive and effective defensive strategy. For context, the Minnesota Timberwolves boasted the league’s best defense with a 109.0 rating, while the Blazers hovered towards the bottom of the league with a 117.5 rating. This glaring deficiency emphasizes the need for a defensive-minded head coach who can overhaul this young team’s approach to defense.
Vogel’s track record speaks for itself. He’s consistently been at the forefront of creating stout defensive teams, and if he were to bring this mentality to Portland, it could be a game-changer for the ceiling of what this team could be in the future. A solid team defense isn’t just a sorely overlooked part of the NBA game today, but it also teaches a young team accountability and teamwork, which are crucial for the development of young players. This kind of foundation allows teams to grow, improve, and eventually contend at the highest levels. With Vogel at the helm, the Blazers have the potential to go from a team at the bottom of the league to a formidable, cohesive unit, setting the stage for a brighter future.
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