28. Chauncey Billups
With summer dragging on and on and on before the NBA tips off, we’ve decided to initiate a multipart series that will be the definitive look at the best players in the NBA today. Over the next month or so we’ll run down the 50 guys that we think are the 50 best players, right here, right now. Today, Sam Rubenstein takes a look at Chauncey Billups…
With summer dragging on and on and on before the NBA tips off, we’ve decided to initiate a multipart series that will be the definitive look at the best players in the NBA today.
Over lunch at the Outback Steakhouse (word to Steve Irwin), your crack SLAMonline.com staff sat down and ranked the 50 best players in the NBA today. We realize that’s kind of ambiguous, but that’s how basketball is and that’s how we like it. Basically, though, we tried to list the 50 guys we think have the most value to their teams, right now, at this moment. This doesn’t mean they’ll never be traded, and it doesn’t mean they’re due tremendous contract extensions, but it does mean — since value is king in the NBA — that over the next month or so we’ll run down the 50 guys that we think are the 50 best players, right here, right now.
Before long it’ll be time for our annual NBA team previews. Right now it’s time for some law and order…
28. Chauncey Billups
What is it that makes an NBA player good? Is it his scoring? Passing and rebounding? Jumping and athleticism? Chauncey Billups might not have the numbers of alot of the superstars in the game, but he wins basketball games. He has heart, and one of his nicknames is Mr. B-b-b-b-b-big shot. It took him a few stops to end up where he belonged, but Chauncey already has a championship and finals MVP in the bag. When the Pistons were considered a team of scrappy overachievers, nobody realized that Chauncey was a star all along.
Some guys have talent for passing the ball, leading to points or stopping the other guy from scoring. Chauncey’s refusal to turn the ball over does just as much to help his team win. From the free throw line, he never misses, so you can not foul him late in the game, and he is the guy that will have the ball in his hand and make the decision of just how the Pistons are going to beat you. Sometimes he gives it up to the hot hand, sometimes he hits a cold blooded three. The bottom line is winning, and that’s what Chauncey does.
49 Responses to “28. Chauncey Billups”
Oct.9 at 2:16 pm
Rob Stewart says:
Chauncey has always been solid. No real weakness. Good combination of heart and toughness. He had many oppurtunities to give up or let down. Especially after injuries and numerous trades that put him in bad situations. I wish he could have won a chip with KG.
Oct.9 at 2:31 pm
Carlos(mexican not argentine so im not a homer) says:
ive experienced mr. big shot billups make a whole arena go silent in december of 2004 when he hit a dagger as time expired to beat out my wizards by 2. The man is money. I went 6-6 (including 4-4 in the 4th) from 3 pt land with him in 2k7.
Oct.9 at 2:32 pm
Carlos(mexican not argentine so im not a homer) says:
People that dont include him as a top 5 pg in the L are crazy.
Oct.9 at 2:49 pm
Agustin says:
My Top 5: Nash, Dirk, Gasol, AK47, and Kobe
Oct.9 at 3:11 pm
RM # 0 says:
2 low, should’ve been top 20. Now I’m really curious who’s gonna be next
Oct.9 at 3:25 pm
albie1kenobi says:
more surprising than the result is the lack of comments on Mr Billups himself. but i guess there really ain’t much left to say besides his commanding presence in Pistons and the killer instinct. like Rob said, wish he stayed in Minny and win a chip with KG. maybe he wasn’t there yet but i remember watching him drained a few clutch 3s in a regular season game and saved the wolves. i knew he was good but to bring in the Finals MVP trophy was definitely unforeseeable prior to Pistons’ championship run.
so i suppose Sheed and Prince didn’t make this list then.
Oct.9 at 3:29 pm
tripset30 says:
Chauncey Billups is the truth but I still don’t think he should be higher than Jkidd… Where is Chris Paul? Are you guys saying that he’s better than both Billups and Kidd?
Oct.9 at 3:38 pm
CASHVILLE says:
I was watching ESPN classic one day during march madness and came across a game in the mid ninety’s that featured my beloved tarheels and Colorado. Vince would to no surprise end up hurt and my man big shot was giving it to Dean’s boys. That’s back when he was about 20 pounds lighter but he still was Deebo out there. He also had the Raekwon stlye fade with that crazy part. It’s like he has icewater in his veins the way he knocks down big shots and hits those clutch free throws. He is the ultimate point guard with a couple of rings to back him up in any argument. He also looks like Diddy!! Hey Playboy!! Take that, Take that!! I could see him drinking Cambodian breast milk during a time out. Ha Ha!!
Oct.9 at 3:42 pm
DVLb0y613 says:
Oh man, championship cred dont even make it to the top 20?! CB is one of the clutch and big game performers in d L..not too mention the leader of one of the top teams in the NBA with a finals MVP to booth..I think some of the PLAYAS that are gonna be ranked higher than him wont even be in sniffing distance of a championship, Cat’s worked hard to get where he is today, and value wise I think he deserves higher cause he has PROVEN it.
Oct.9 at 3:47 pm
Ryan W. says:
Does this mean Robert Horry is #27?
Oct.9 at 3:58 pm
chronically_ill says:
I think he looks kind of like Charlie Murphy with that mouth of his
Oct.9 at 4:09 pm
Jamison says:
Ridiculous. I guess Chauncey’s MVP votes didn’t really make him one of the most valuable players in the NBA. Chauncey is the best player and the leader on a contender. You could also convincingly make the case that he is the best point guard in the league (Top 3 at the least). If Chauncey is this low, where are you going to put Rasheed??
Oct.9 at 4:12 pm
Noah Doucette says:
i think chauncy shud be higher along with kidd.
and he does sorta look like charlie murphy.
Oct.9 at 4:25 pm
NZ Baller says:
Have to admit I was slightly niggled by his winning of the Finals MVP a couple of seasons ago, as if he weren’t worthy of being amongst the list of greats who had won it in the past or sumthin….. However, have now come to realise the man is money….mixture of rock solid fundamentals and a huge drive to win. Does Team USA take the World Champs with him at the helm?
Oct.9 at 4:57 pm
albie1kenobi says:
don’t know if he could have stopped Greece in the World Champ game, so it’s a moot point if he could have led Team USA to gold. though you can’t really count out a guy with champ cred. this guy gives you the kind of confidence that he’s always in control.
this list is starting to feel like it’s dragging on forever, and we ain’t even half way done! by the time top 5 rolls around, no one may care anymore (especially since the season has already started by then).
Oct.9 at 5:10 pm
Fiasco says:
Fasten up this shit…this aint a Hitler speech…at least show a player once a day.
Oct.9 at 5:16 pm
chrissss says:
stop comparing his game to kidds and others, its based on his value to the franchise. if you were to pick a player for the rest of his remaining career to run point for your team, you would take chris paul simply because he is younger and looks as if he will be as good or not better than kidd and billups. thats what this list is about.
Oct.9 at 5:24 pm
Carlos(mexican not argentine so im not a homer) says:
rasheed wallace is mos definetly on this list
Oct.9 at 5:26 pm
Carlos(mexican not argentine so im not a homer) says:
people that dont think billups should be higher than kidd have to realize that this is no longer 2001…kidd might be better than billups on fast breaks and rebounding…but everything else billups takes the cake
Oct.9 at 5:29 pm
OKNARB says:
It’s too bad this guy is a RAPIST (look it up) otherwise i would like him since he does have ice cold blood. Also, the only reason the Pistons won the chip that year is cuz Shaq refused to win another one with Kobe. (watch the tape of any game and see how he pretended to not be able to get open when Kobe was getting double teamed). Oh yeah and I hate the Pistons.
Oct.9 at 5:33 pm
Carlos(mexican not argentine so im not a homer) says:
billups is faster, billups is clutcher(no contest here), billups plays better D(while Kidd’s size bothers some players he often lets quicker guards zoom by), billups has far more range, billups is better at getting to the basket, and ill stand by this billups may not have the court vision of kidd(keep in mind kidd’s court vision shines in fast breaks and the nets though they run at times often settle for one on one takes from either jefferson, carter, or kristc) but billups peforms the duty of pg better IMO-he does an excellent job of distributing the ball, keeping guys happy, and putting it where they excel most. Plus he nails daggers without flinching. Mr. Big shot who do you think you are?
Oct.9 at 5:36 pm
Carlos(mexican not argentine so im not a homer) says:
hahaha Oknarb you really think shaq would pretend to not be able to get open and lose a championship to spite kobe. Come on dude, that is pure nonsense.
Oct.9 at 6:08 pm
ALX8725 says:
I agree with “chrissss”. This whole list is about a player’s VALUE to his team. Not whoever the top 50 best players in the NBA are. At this point in time, Jason Kidd is not as valuable as Billups to their respective teams.
Oct.9 at 6:56 pm
Justin H says:
I Like billups (who Dont) but I think he could’ve done a whole lot better in the play-offs.
Oct.9 at 6:56 pm
chronically_ill says:
At this point, I’ll have to take Chauncey over Kidd, just for the fact that Chauncey is money in the clutch. If you had money riding on a game, who would you ride with? Chauncey or Ason Kidd? Besides, Chauncey is such a cool name
Oct.9 at 6:57 pm
chronically_ill says:
BTW, what’s the deal about Chauncey being a rapist? I’ve heard of Kobe and his deal, but i’ve never heard of Chauncey being involved in any rape situations. can somebody enlighten me on this?
Oct.9 at 8:17 pm
Carlos says:
he is referring to the way billups raped kidd*real life wife beater)in a one on one game
Oct.9 at 8:55 pm
Tyler says:
top 5 … Kobe, AI, Dirk, Wade, Nash
Oct.9 at 9:05 pm
OKNARB says:
sorry… I actually linked to her lawsuit against them, not Walkers against his former friends. You get the idea, though. Not sure if the words Kidd and one on one are in there, Carlos. Unless, of course, you were referring to one of your fantasies.
Oct.9 at 9:14 pm
OKNARB says:
SLAM didn’t put up my before last post.. so here’s the short version http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=1st&navby=case&no=991095
Oct.9 at 11:12 pm
Dj says:
too low. this guy’s the biggest reason for the pistons success over the years, many times he singlehandily kept them in the game with his clutch shooting and abuse of smaller points. To rate him one spot over Joe Johnson (no disrespect, but JJ dont got no finals mvp) is absurd.
Oct.10 at 12:33 am
serbia23 says:
he’s aight i dont think dat he should have been an mvp candidate cuz his team wuz staked to the max and they still didnt win
Oct.10 at 12:35 am
scott says:
Billups deserves to be ranked ahead of Kidd at this point in their careers. Billups is clutch and does have a finals mvp. I can’t see Prince or Wallace making this list. Everybody knows Detroit’s most valued player is Billups. Joe Johnson and now Billups to former Celtics. Have to love Boston’s front office at the time.
Oct.10 at 12:56 am
DVLb0y613 says:
Big shot bob on the list!? why not? Horry in his prime would be better than some of the jokers on this list..
Oct.10 at 1:11 am
Well says:
Billups number 28? He is one of the best PG in last 4 year, and he still will be
Oct.10 at 1:13 am
Well says:
28?
Oct.10 at 1:36 am
Carlos says:
what does robert horry’s prime have to do with the top 50 most valuable players of right now
Oct.10 at 5:50 am
Darksaber says:
Hmm, intriguing spot for B.b.b.b.billups. But i agree that him being no. 28 in terms of value, is a bit low. That team relies on him to do a lot, defend Wade, help out on bigs, control the flow of the game, set the tone on offense, make (countless) big shots, and he’s been very effective for the last few seasonss. So Slam, you were dismayed that he missed the wcob tournament this summer, and now he’s (probably) lower than C.P.? Nonsense. Still top 3 Point in the league.
Oct.10 at 6:43 am
Boing Dynasty says:
Every day is seems less and less likly that Michael Ruffin is gonna make this list.
Oct.10 at 6:45 am
Darksaber says:
“Hitler speech”. Ouch. Fiasco, you really did your name justice on that one.
Oct.10 at 11:43 am
t dot j. says:
i knew this guy was gansta from when he played on the raptors( from the trade with boston) you could just tell he had it in him to run an nba team, the front office back then(looseballs) just let him go too early he got mad run in minnesota which led him to improve and then signed with the pistons and the rest is history…… tdot………
Oct.10 at 11:48 am
t dot j. says:
t dot this t dot that ya heard
Oct.10 at 1:11 pm
RonMexico says:
28? this list better be damn good from here on out. i mean, the next couple of guys should def have some jewellery.
Oct.10 at 1:42 pm
BO$$ says:
Chauncey Billups is one of the best leaders on a team in a long time. All around points are hard to come by in this 7foot giants era. To bad they couldnt get another ring on their fingers this year although Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning were already overdue for a ring.
Oct.10 at 3:40 pm
t dot j. says:
yo whoeva u r, stop being a looseball and get outta here wit dat bull**** quit jackin da name and postin dumb comments fool. tdot……………
Oct.11 at 12:03 am
Paolo says:
One thing really impressive about Chauncey Billups is that he brings all those intangibles to his team. His leadership of the Detroit crew is unprecedented. They year they won the cahmpionship, he didn’t even get chosen for the All-Star Game. That says he will grind for the results whether he has the shine or not. Who was he then? He was virtually a cocky journeyman that calmed down a band of players nobody wanted in their team. Then lead them to the greatest prize in all of sports. A Championship. He got a Finals MVP before he even made an All-Star team. That is substance. If Ben Wallace was the heart and soul of the team, Chauncey Billups was the mind, the presence and the swagger. He is intelligent, he is clutch, he is a consumate teammate who knows how make those around him better. He is the fireman. he handles heat. Funnels the fire when somebody gets hot. Ignites himself when the timing is right. But I think the kicker with him is that he has the tangibles to back those intangibles up. He has the numbers. He has scored, had a career high in assists. Rebounded well for a point guard. Never turned the ball over. To say that he is the best point guard in the league might be a stretch. But a debate about it will not be complete without him.
Oct.11 at 10:28 pm
amber says:
MAN THIS IS BULLSHIT………DUDE HAS A FUCKING CHAMPIONSHIP, THAT MAKES HIM BETTER THAN OVERATED LEBRON AND 3 POINT HAPPY MILLER. AND GO TO LA TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP MALONE. I WAS ARGUING WITH SOME GUYS AT SCHOOL ABOUT DETROIT…..WHAT IS ALL THE HATE ABOUT. THEY THE TRUTH..SHIT TMAC AINT EVA GON WIN A CHIP OR VINCE, KIDD,MARBURY, (MAYBE KG IF HE GET OFF HIS ASS AND GO TO LA)
Dec.4 at 8:31 pm
Lynda Kester says:
He wasn’t convicted of rape, asshole.
Jan.15 at 10:02 am
nik the slick says:
Chauncey at 28?? Come on, you guys know better! I know Slam writers are not as shallow as other (basketball) media in their naming of `stars` of the game, but you guys kinda disappoint me in underestimating pistons basketball and especially the motor of the motor city ballers: big shot Billups. I understand C-Bill won`t match your top5 ballers like Bron, wade or KB but c`mon: C. Paul at nr 9(nothing but respect for the guy tough) and Bills at 28?? that doesn`t fit! He`s a great passer and scorer and leader of the Pistons, still one of the toughest teams in the league. You guys should acknowledge that!