The Trail Blazers officially announced Split as the interim head coach! Four major benefits for Yang Hansen: expected to develop faster

On October 24th Beijing time, the Portland Trail Blazers issued an official statement: "We are aware of the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups and are fully cooperating with the investigation. Billups has been immediately suspended, and Tiago Splitter will temporarily take over as head coach." Previously, Billups was arrested for involvement in illegal poker games and was also charged with money laundering, telecom fraud conspiracy, and multiple other offenses.

Splitter, aged 40 and born in Brazil, has extensive on-court experience both as a player and a coach. He was selected 28th overall in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by the Spurs but only officially began his NBA career in 2010, playing under coach Popovich for five seasons.

During his seven-year NBA career, Splitter played in 355 games, starting in 153 of them. This center averaged 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game before announcing his retirement in 2018.

After retiring, Splitter quickly returned to basketball. In 2018, he joined the Brooklyn Nets as a professional scout and transitioned to a player development coach in 2019. Despite several coaching changes in the Nets organization, Splitter remained on the staff. He initially worked under coach Atkinson and continued through the tenures of Nash and Vaughn until he left the Nets in 2023.

Following that, Splitter served as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets for one season, spent a year briefly in European leagues, and ultimately returned to the NBA in 2025 as an assistant coach for the Trail Blazers.

During the Summer League, speaking about Chinese player Yang Hansen, Splitter said: "I think he needs to get physically stronger and get used to the pace, being able to play about 10 minutes at high intensity. We will work on this in training. There’s also the matter of time—he needs to adapt to playing with the team, as well as cultural differences, new language, and new lifestyle. That’s why we try to help him adjust to NBA life as quickly as possible." Splitter's appointment as interim head coach is likely good news for Yang Hansen—

1. Better understanding of Yang Hansen’s traits

While serving as an assistant coach for the Trail Blazers, Splitter was responsible for guiding Yang Hansen, so they have a high level of familiarity. Before Yang’s NBA regular season debut, Splitter even practiced with him, giving him deep insight into Yang’s technical skills and mental state. This means no need for re-evaluation or adjustment, saving valuable time for Yang’s development.

2. Ability to design targeted tactics

Splitter, a former interior player, focused on training young centers as an assistant coach. He better understands Yang’s on-court needs and is likely to create more tailored strategies, such as increasing pick-and-roll plays and emphasizing low-post offense, giving Yang more chances to showcase his interior skills during games.

3. Providing high-quality technical guidance

With rich experience in inside play and as a Spurs championship team member, Splitter has a profound understanding of both offensive and defensive play in the paint. He can offer practical advice to Yang on positioning and rebounding, helping him improve the finer details of his interior game.

4. Proven track record of success

When Splitter was an assistant coach with the Rockets, he successfully coached Alperen Şengün, helping him make significant improvements in both offensive and defensive habits. Since Yang Hansen’s playing style has some similarities to Şengün’s, Splitter can draw on his previous experience to develop a professional growth plan, accelerating Yang’s progress.