Bill Oram

2 weeks ago | heraldandnews.com | Bill Oram

For most of the past four years, the marriage between Chauncey Billups and the Trail Blazers has largely felt like one of convenience. Billups was handed a roster that he did not sign up to coach and General Manager Joe Cronin inherited a coach he did not hire. kAm%96 C@DE6C H2D C6:>28:?65 :? 2? 677@CE E@ 2AA62D6 s2>:2? {:==2C5 E96? 2H<H2C5=J 4@33=65 E@86E96C @?46 96 =67E]k^AmkAm(:E9 q:==FAD ?6:E96C E96 AC@3=6> ?@C[ 2AA2C6?E=J[ E96 D@=FE:@?[ 96 2?5 E96 q=2K6CD 6?82865 :? 2?

2 weeks ago | tdn.com | Bill Oram

For most of the past four years, the marriage between Chauncey Billups and the Trail Blazers has largely felt like one of convenience. Billups was handed a roster that he did not sign up to coach and General Manager Joe Cronin inherited a coach he did not hire. The roster was reimagined in an effort to appease to Damian Lillard then awkwardly cobbled together once he left.

2 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Bill Oram

When the Phoenix Suns were fresh off firing Frank Vogel last spring and on the hunt for a new coach, they reached out to Portland seeking permission to interview Chauncey Billups, who was under contract with the Trail Blazers for one more year. The Blazers, multiple people familiar with the discussions said, flatly refused. One year later, it looks like a savvy decision. Billups has grown as a coach and has the Blazers playing harder than ever and with a defensive focus.

2 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Bill Oram

As a parade of mourners shuffled past, saying they had loved his mom, that they would miss her, that they were sorry, Justin Minaya spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Above it, actually. “There are so many people that came to the funeral,” Minaya said, “and then you just see some 7-foot kid standing at the back of the line.”He chuckled at the mental image, then added softly, “It meant a lot.”The Portland Trail Blazers forward hadn’t expected Donovan Clingan to appear at the service last July.

2 weeks ago | oregonlive.com | Bill Oram

For just the second time in history, the NCAA Tournament has given us four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four, which starts Friday in San Antonio. Is that good for college sports? The Oregonian Sports Podcasts are split on the matter. Cohost Brenna Greene is on the scene for the men’s Final Four after spending the previous week at the women’s regional in Spokane. She breaks down the scene there and previews the rest of the men’s field along with Oregonian sports columnist Bill Oram.