Chauncey Billups Didn’t Want to Play Shooting Guard for the Clippers


As he prepares for the battle to reclaim what was once his in Detroit (and to face drastic roster changes), veteran guard Chauncey Billups says he didn’t want to play the role he was forced into as an LA Clipper. Per Yahoo! Sports: “‘I’m 36 and I’m going to be 37 when the season starts,’ Billups said. ‘I’ve accomplished everything I tried to accomplish in basketball. So I don’t have anything to prove. But to my own personal self, I want to end my career playing my position and just doing what I do.’ […] Last season, he played just 22 games, averaging career-lows of 8.4 points and 2.2 assists. The Clippers then acquired shooting guard J.J. Redick to replace Billups, who played out of position alongside point guard Chris Paul. ‘I definitely wasn’t disappointed,’ Billups said. ‘I didn’t want to be a two-guard anyway. I did it there because it’s a way for me to get on the floor. You are playing behind the best point guard in the league in Chris. I never saw myself as a shooting guard. I never wanted to play it.’ […] ‘I always wanted to retire a Piston anyway,’ Billups said. ‘That’s where I stayed the longest and had most of my success. I always wanted to be remembered as a Piston. This will hopefully give me the opportunity to end my career there.’ Billups hasn’t played primarily as a reserve since the 2000-01 season when he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He started every game he played with the Pistons from 2002-09. Although it would seem like a long shot with (Brandon) Jennings onboard, Billups plans to prove he deserves to be the starting point guard next season. Billups said his Achilles’ tendon, which has been medically cleared by the Pistons, ‘is fine’ and his body feels as good as it has in years. Billups was asked before the Jennings deal if he thought he had could start at point guard for Detroit and said: ‘I would think that when I’m healthy I give us the best chance to win. I’m not sure. But I believe in me.'”