http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_4035153

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2006/0710/20060710_090933_Billups071106.jpg
Chauncey Billups prepares to sink a putt Monday during an event to help the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy


Rested Billups looking for help

By Marc J. Spears
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com

After a long, tiring season, Chauncey Billups enjoyed the relaxing setting Monday at the Cherry Creek Country Club.

The Detroit Pistons guard admitted to having tired legs in the 2006 postseason, possibly the result of having played in 80 postseason games the past four seasons and a career high in minutes (36.1 average) this past season.

"I'm happy, man, and I'm feeling good," Billups said while sitting in a golf cart. "I haven't touched a ball since the season was over, other than my little basketball camp in Detroit playing with kids. My body is rested up. I've licked my wounds. I'll be back ready again."

The Pistons were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals by the eventual champion Miami Heat.

"Honestly, I didn't take it that hard because, myself personally, I was spent," said Billups, (okay, I'm not fond of that quote at all -Glenn) a former University of Colorado star. "I was coming into games mentally strong and ready. And my body just wouldn't let me do what I do. I was just tired. Just burned out. And I've never had that feeling before."

Billups played a career-high 2,925 minutes last season, the third consecutive season he posted a career high in minutes.

He returned to Denver on Friday with his wife and three daughters to take part in the Porter-Billups Celebrity Golf Tournament. There was a dinner and auction Sunday night at the Pepsi Center and more than 400 people attended. The golf tournament was Monday, with proceeds benefiting the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy, a summer education program for underprivileged children. It was founded 10 years ago by Regis University men's basketball coach Lonnie Porter.

"Our sole intent is to meet their needs academically so they have a chance to go to college," Porter said.

Said Billups: "It's something that I'll be proud to be a part of forever."

As for his career, he'll have to get used to playing without center Ben Wallace, a key component in the Pistons' 2004 championship season.

Wallace is expected to sign a four-year, $60 million contract with Chicago as early as Wednesday.

Billups said he will miss the 2006 defensive player of the year but understood why Wallace was departing. The Bulls' offer was reportedly about $11 million more than Detroit's.

"Of course I'm hurt," Billups said. "I lost my hog. We built something real special out there together. We were both captains of the team for the last four years. It put a dent in me a little bit, but I'm happy for Ben. I'm proud of him."

The Pistons countered by adding San Antonio free-agent center Nazr Mohammed.

The Pistons' next contractual concern could be Billups, who likely will opt out of his contract next summer, forgoing $6.8 million for the 2007-08 season in order to become a free agent. But the 2004 NBA Finals MVP said he "loves" Detroit and his "heart" is with the Pistons.

"It's probably a pretty good chance that I will opt out if everything goes the way we hope it will," he said.

The 2006 all-star is hopeful the Pistons land a quality backup point guard in order to lower his minutes next season. Pistons guards Lindsey Hunter and Tony Delk are free agents. Detroit is expected to have interest in possibly signing Delk, Cleveland's Flip Murray or Piston Chucky Atkins in free agency.

"I'd like to have a good, quality backup point guard because you never know what happens," Billups said. (read: Lindsey's not enough -Glenn)

Billups is scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas on July 18 for the USA Basketball training camp in preparation for the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan this fall. But Billups has his eyes on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He won't be playing in Japan since he promised his wife he would spend the majority of this offseason with his newborn daughter, Cenaiya, born June 28.

"My first two kids she had in Denver, and I was playing elsewhere," Billups said. "I didn't get to be around for the first couple of months. I promised my wife that when we had our last kid that I'd be around."

Basically, getting a good backup PG would go a long way towards making chauncey happy.

Not to mention help the team. Doesn't really matter cause at the end of the day it all comes down to whether or not Davidson will pony up and pay the man what the market demands.

Cenaiya -- what a sucky spelling name to saddle on a poor child.

i do think the early playoffs exit might go a long way towards a mental recharge. it's got to be mentally fatiguing to go to war so many times, for so many years straight. while i don't buy the tired legs excuses (i mean they're pro athletes who play half the year, every few days during the playoffs), i do buy them being mentally worn down.

i'm interested to see how Chauncey takes on the role as the sole team captain. so many people thought that Chauncey would turn into chucker Chauncey once LB left, but he had an amazing regular season.

Him Being on the U.S. team is gonna mek him even more spent..

yeah that's my big concern. i hate that he's on team USA.

he needs a full summer of no basketball.

BTW- it's all well and good to get a nice backup (which is going to be hard to do i might add) but we need a coach who will actually invest in playing that backup.

or else billups will just get burnt out again next year.

i don't care what his minutes say- it's WHEN you play him. flip needs to get our starters out earlier in blowouts. MUCH earlier.

and he needs to rest the starters more in the middle of games too. even if it's only for a couple of minutes. he seems to favor leaving them in for long stretches, then if he takes them out, he lets them sit for a long while.

i would rather he take them out for short, quick rests, a bit more often.

I don't think he's playing for Team USA this summer. Just going to the training camp, because his wife is giving birth to their child.

I don't think he's playing for Team USA this summer. Just going to the training camp, because his wife is giving birth to their child.

That's also what I heard.

The Pistons' next contractual concern could be Billups, who likely will opt out of his contract next summer, forgoing $6.8 million for the 2007-08 season in order to become a free agent. But the 2004 NBA Finals MVP said he "loves" Detroit and his "heart" is with the Pistons.

yay?

sounds similar to what ben said. but i think we have to keep billups. IMO he's more important and his situation is more unique. his skills aren't in decline; just the opposite, he's coming off a career year.

and in 4 or 5 years his athleticism may decline a bit, but it won't greatly affect his game the way it would with a player like ben.

we had better re-sign him. or else we might as well tear this whole team apart and rebuild completely.

look at fugly Cassell. he's like 36 years old and still effective. since Chauncey's game isn't straight up speed or athleticism, i think he can be effective for a while longer.

never underestimate how far ugliness can take you in life.

"Honestly, I didn't take it that hard because, myself personally, I was spent," said Billups, (okay, I'm not fond of that quote at all -Glenn) a former University of Colorado star. "I was coming into games mentally strong and ready. And my body just wouldn't let me do what I do. I was just tired. Just burned out. And I've never had that feeling before."


Now can we finally fucking admit that the starters played too many minutes? I don't give a flying fuck how many minutes Lebron or Dirk play. They are one or two star players on their team, everybody else is rested and ready to pick up the slack. Our whole starting lineup shouldn't be playing 35+ minutes each. Period.

It amazes me that all of the obvious fears, that some people would vehemetly argue throughout the season weren't real problems for us, all came true. Starters playing too many minutes, too jump-shot oriented, lack of inside scoring, flip's inexperience, ben's discord, etc. All of them were real problems, and frankly the people who arrogantly dismissed them with their snotty condescending attitudes during the regular season can suck my dick. Get down there and start sucking you fucking bitches.

(PS dont get too excited i dont actually want you to suck my dick)

Great post Metro.

Damn! I've never read a post where Metroman goes off.

Kind of confused about the timing of his outburst, since I remember Gutz going crazy over the same stuff last month.

Maybe Metro missed that.

Now can we finally fucking admit that the starters played too many minutes? I don't give a flying fuck how many minutes Lebron or Dirk play. They are one or two star players on their team, everybody else is rested and ready to pick up the slack. Our whole starting lineup shouldn't be playing 35+ minutes each. Period.
The problem is that our players, unlike most, were healthy the entire regular season. 35 mpg for 70 games gives players breaks (whether wanted or not) while 35 mpg for 80 games does not.

It'd help if we had more of a killer instinct.

Based on his substitution patters, I'm pretty sure that Popovich figured this out, or maybe he just doesn't want to risk injury.