Chauncey Billups has pulled out of the Olympics citing a personal family issue. From Ric Bucher at ESPN.com:
“It’s a matter of what you want to do and what you need to do,” said Billups, who declined to be more specific about the family matter prompting his withdrawal from the team. “Winning a gold medal is the one thing that I haven’t accomplished, and I was looking forward to standing up on that big stage. That’s what I really wanted. But I was taught family comes first, above anything else.”
[…] Billups was concerned that his family issue might either distract him in Beijing or force him to return to the United States before or during competition. While the squad has not been officially announced, he was confident he would’ve been selected and, with competition to make the roster fierce, didn’t want to take a spot if he couldn’t be fully committed to the cause.
Whatever it is, I wish Billups and his family the best.
Tayshaun Prince is also on the bubble, which seems odd to me. On a roster full of superstars, he actually saw a good deal of playing time last summer, and he seems like the perfect no-ego glue guy Team USA has sorely lacked in recent years.
(Not that I’m complaining — as much of an honor as it is to represent your country, playing competitive ball all summer isn’t exactly what a guy who’s advanced to the Conference Finals every year of his career needs to be doing to re-charge his batteries.)
This is really too bad. It’s probably more a case of not wanting the embarrassment of getting cut. Which he shouldn’t have been. It’s absurd that Jason Kidd is still considered better than him. There seems to be a lot of Piston hate out there…stay strong my Brothers and Sisters in Pistonland!!!!
all the best for billups and his family.
i don´t know if the olympic team needed billups, because of cp3, deron williams and jason kidd.
Tough times for Billups. Hope he and his family will be alright.
And the disappoint keeps piling up. I wanted CB and Tay to hoist the O’Brien trophy and then get the Olympic gold.
Best wishes to CB and family.
Prince deserves to be on the team. He was at minimum one of the 5 best players on the team when Team USA won the FIBA Americas tournament. Tay BETTER have a roster spot or I’ll have to find a way to hate Duke and Coach K even more.
ummmm. how about this one. there is no family issue. he knew he wouldn’t make the cut, so he avoided being embarassed.
How about this for a trade.
Tay and Billups for Josh Smith and Al Horford.
Get good youth thats has great upsides. Especially Smith
Stuckey
Rip
Smith
Sheed
Dyess
Afflalo
Dixon
Hermann
Maxiell
Horford
Johnson
Let me know what you guys think.
Ronnie,
I don’t see why Atlanta would make that trade. Who plays 4 and 5 for them?
I think it’s kind of a riff on when you get fired, you’re really quitting because you want to spend more time with your family. I don’t get the deal with Kidd, but CP3 and Deron I can understand.
TWL,
You dont see why ATL would make that trade? Because for 1 they took Boston to 7 games. I’m sure they would like a couple veterans with exp. 2. Mike woodson is the coach and I’m sure would love a reunion with a couple players such as C-bill and Tay. 3. Because it would be good for their team…thats why.
Ronnie, you shouldn’t drink so early in the day my friend. I’m down in Atlanta and don’t think the Hawks are trading either guy, let alone both of them. They would have no power forward. They already don’t have a true center. Try again pal. At least propose a trade where they give up both their best big men but get a big back. Come on dude.
No drinking buddy…..yet. lol. I’m just saying ATL has a good amount of youth. Bibby probably wont be back. Could use some vets. Works out for both teams. MAYBE I JUST WANT JOSH SMITH OK!!!!! ha ha, I think hes a beast like Maxiell thats it. hopeful thinking. Everybody around MI is talking about Melo or T-Mac and now Redd. I’m just thinking outside of the box.
Billups
Johnson
Prince
??????
Pachulia
To be honest, looks pretty threatening. All in all ATL is my second fav team next to the Pistons
Ronnie,
I’m sure thay would like some veterans. My point is, who starts for them after the trade? Look at their roster - who rebounds for them after the trade?
Pachulia isn’t a starter. They’d have no PF, as you noted, and they’d be overloaded on the wings.
Hey, maybe they’d go or it . . . but Billups is on the downside of his career, Prince isn’t a massive upgrade over Williams/Childress, and Smith and Horford are both 22. Right now Atlanta is a team of the future. Trading youth for experience is something a team does if they want to win right away. Can a lineup of Billups/Johnson/Prince/???/Paculia win a championship, or even make the finals? If not, why should Atlanta mortgage their future?
Yeah, I think C-Bill knew he was getting cut. Kidd is not a better player but he is a better fit for that team. That team looked so much better when Kidd was in there, then when Billups was.
First of all, let’s not call Chauncey a liar. If he wanted a cop-out, I think that going to the ECF the last 6 years plus other international commitments and his recent injury would be enough. If he says he’s got a family issue, I think we should believe him.
That said, he probably wouldn’t have made the cut anyway.
As for the aforementioned trade, it would never EVER happen, because the contracts don’t match up.
ATL will not get rid of Horford right now–he is the future on this team. Living here, the team talks non-stop about how he should have been the Rookie of the year.
They might move Joe Johnson or one of Childress/Smith (I think both could be free agents this offseason not sure though), but not Horford–just won’t happen.
“Living here, the team talks non-stop about how he should have been the Rookie of the year.”
They’re right, IMO. He should have been rookie of the year. Durant skated there nearly on name recognition alone…
Ronnie- I’m with you on the “I want Josh Smith” but its just not possible. Unless Smith demands to be traded to Detroit and the pistons give up Sheed to match salaries then don’t expect him here.
They wouldn’t want Chauncey for either of those two and same with tay.
Both are the future of that team. One should have been an allstar and one should have been the ROY. You don’t give that up for a declining allstar (albeit slowly), and a never been allstar.
DetUMICH- Yes both Smith/Childress are free agents but restricted free agents. So atlanta will probably match whatever an team offers them.
@the Allrights, you shut your filthy mouth. Billups need to be healthy for the fall no matter what team he’s going to be on.
@HB, actually the allrights was correct. the team is about to cut him.
HB- huh? I agree he needs to be healthy. He didn’t say that, however.
He said something about a family issue and family coming first. Had he said, I want to heal up, well then I would have said BRAVO. However, this is a transparent media trick to avoid being embarrased by being cut from the team.
Sorry if that offends you, but I’m not the only one saying/writing it… everybody knows he wasn’t going to be on the team, dude. only homers like you get mad at obvious observations.
chauncey billups is the best damn player the pistons have, not only is he the captain, but he’s the heart and soul of the detroit pistons!!!!!i for one think the pistons are makeing the bigest mistake ever if they trade chauncey!!!!!!!i think sheed needs to go,but mr.bigshot can still TAKE the pistons to the championship!!!!!HE DID HIS THANG IN GAME 6 WITH 29 PTS,BUT WHERE WAS SHEED????but if ya trade him rodney stucky will never be able to fill his shoes!!!!”NEVER”and if he says he has family issues,then he does!!!!!!get over it!!!!!he’s got a life too!!
I was really happy that Billups signed long-term. Now, I honestly don’t care. I expected more of him. Until he got injured, Billups was a gigantic disappointment. The injury obviously did not help.