5. Chauncey Billups Debut Ruined By Kings

Chauncey Billups may be under as much pressure as any of the rookie head coaches. He is leading a Portland Trail Blazers team that has made the postseason eight consecutive years and is doing its best to make sure their star player, Damian Lillard, remains with the organization long-term.

His debut did not go as planned. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Trail Blazers 124-121. The Kings led by as many as 18 in the game as they controlled it throughout.

It is only one game, but it is not the start the Blazers were looking for. They struggled defensively again, which has been a theme in recent years. Sacramento knocked down 42 percent of their 3-pointers, making 17 in the game. 

The Kings consistently got out in transition, outsourcing the Trail Blazers 20-2 in fastbreak points. Sacramento also took advantage of the turnovers, scoring 18 points off of 12 by Portland, while the Trail Blazers scored only nine off of 10 by the Kings.

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Lillard had an off-shooting night and the team cannot afford too many of those. He is the best player on the team and they will go as he goes. He recently reaffirmed his commitment to the organization, but if they get off to a rocky start and fall behind in the race for the playoffs early, it would not be shocking if he requested a trade.