Is Chauncey Billups Hall of Fame material?

More titles than Kidd and AI combined, more Finals MVPs than Kobe. Not too shabby Chauncey Billups.

While we’re on the topic of potential Hall of Famers: How about Chauncey Billups?
I brought this up last night to a couple WCBias representatives after Chauncey Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Billups put the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.

Billups isn’t exactly a name that says “First-Ballot Hall of Famer.” (Wait, is there such a thing as first ballot in NBA? Never mind.)
Neither Ryantific nor SF Giants honk our boy Beau C would give Billups their vote just yet, but here are a few reasons why you have to consider the guy for the Hall:

Billups is now making his seventh consecutive conference finals appearance. SEVEN STRAIGHT! Not even Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal or Kobe Bryant could claim that feat. In fact, since 1970, only Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have pulled off seven straight appearances: and it’s not like Billups has had the luxury of playing with that kind of talent over the years.

In fact, the Nuggets straight up sucked until Billups got there.

Billups vs. A.I. & Kidd
The Wombat said he’d be willing to give Billups some Hall consideration, or at least put in him the same sentence as Nugget Cancer Detroit guard Allen Iverson and Mavs grampa guard Jason Kidd, if he keeps producing for another few years.

Fact of the matter is, Billups has a ring, which neither Iverson nor Kidd has.

Billups has also been in the league for 11 years now. He’s three months older than RK (no offense doggy), and he’s averaging 22.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 7.3 apg.

Dude’s in his 11th season, and he’s playing better than ever – and averaging 40 minutes a game in the process.

A.I’s in his 12th season, and I love the guy, but we all saw what transpired this year. J.Kidd has been around a couple years longer, but he might just hang it up at this rate. And we all know those dudes can’t play defense, while Billups is regularly named to the all-defensive team.
So, yeah, a couple more years of this and Billups will be a no-brainer.

Billups vs. Kobe
Beat Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in the next round, he might be a no-brainer by June.

“But B-Slim, Billups doesn’t even have an MVP trophy” you say.

Either did Kobe, until last year.

And Billups actually does have an MVP award: winning the NBA Finals MVP (something Kobe’s never won) when he averaged 21 points and 5.2 assists to lead the Pistons to a 4-1 series win over Kobe’s Lakers for the title.: And Billups is playing even better this season, back for his hometown club: which kind of reminds me of what he did in college at Colorado, leading the Buffs to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 28 years. Dude just seems to make the teammates around him better, especially come playoff time.
Sounds like Hall of Fame material to me.

Speaking of the Lakers
What the hell is wrong with your squad Ryantific? They lost again tonight in Houston. If the Lakers play the physical brand of basketball they played in their three wins in this series, I have no doubt they’ll face the Cavs in the Finals. But if not, they might not even get out of this series, and they’re going to have all sorts of trouble against the Thuggish Ruggish Nuggets – who you’ll recall I noted would be the team that could give the Lakers a run for their money out West. Them and the Rockets apparently.