There is something happening in Portland that deserves a lot more attention.
The Trail Blazers have quietly put together a roster with an unusual combination of star power, veteran leadership, athleticism, size, versatility and, perhaps most importantly, different ways to play. The addition of Ja Morant gives Portland an element it simply did not have before: an explosive downhill creator who can bend a defense with his speed, athleticism and ability to create for himself and everyone around him.
Portland acquired Morant from Memphis in June, adding him to a backcourt that already includes Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. And that is where this gets interesting.
JA MORANT CHANGES THE TEMPERATURE
Morant brings electricity, but the bigger impact could be the pressure he puts on opposing defenses. He is one of the league’s most dynamic athletes with the ball in his hands, and his ability to get downhill forces defenses to collapse. That creates opportunities for Portland’s shooters, cutters and bigs, while allowing other guards to play off the ball rather than having to manufacture every possession.
But Morant’s value to Portland doesn’t have to stop at scoring. There is a leadership opportunity here, too.
Portland has a young backcourt, and Morant now has the chance to be both a star and a mentor to Scoot Henderson. Henderson has all the physical tools to become a high-level NBA guard, and having someone beside him who understands the demands of being a primary creator, attacking the paint and making plays under pressure can accelerate that development.
THEN YOU ADD DAMIAN LILLARD
This is where the backcourt becomes fascinating.
Damian Lillard returning to Portland already brought an entirely different dimension to the roster. Add Morant and Jrue Holiday, and suddenly Portland can play basketball through completely different personalities and skill sets. Lillard gives you deep-range shooting, late-clock shot creation and decades of experience. Morant gives you speed, rim pressure and transition playmaking. Holiday gives you physicality, defensive intelligence, toughness and championship experience.
Holiday is particularly important because he does not need the ball to influence a game. He can defend, organize, make the right pass, hit open shots and stabilize a lineup. That gives Portland something coaches value tremendously: role flexibility.
You can play Morant and Lillard together and overwhelm defenses with creation and spacing. You can put Holiday alongside either one and gain another perimeter defender and secondary decision-maker. You can even stagger the three so there is always a veteran-level ball handler and organizer on the floor.
SCOOT HENDERSON IS THE WILD CARD
The most fascinating developmental piece may be Henderson, and Portland doesn’t need him to immediately become the best player on the team. That’s actually a benefit.
He can learn alongside Morant, Lillard and Holiday while gradually figuring out where his game fits at the NBA level. Instead of asking him to carry an offense before he’s ready, Portland can allow him to grow within a backcourt filled with different examples of how to play the position.
That could be extremely valuable.
AND PORTLAND HAS SIZE
This roster isn’t simply a collection of guards.
Deni Avdija gives Portland a 6-foot-8 playmaking forward who can handle, pass and attack mismatches. Toumani Camara provides defensive versatility and the ability to guard across positions. Jeremy Sochan adds another physical, switchable forward who can bring energy, rebounding and defensive versatility.
Then you get to the center position, and Portland has options there, too. Donovan Clingan gives them size, rebounding and interior defense. Robert Williams III gives them athleticism, defensive playmaking and vertical spacing when healthy. Yang Hansen gives Portland another enormous body and an intriguing developmental piece at 7-foot-1.
That is a lot of different looks for one coaching staff to work with.
SHAEDON SHARPE IS ANOTHER LEVEL OF ATHLETICISM
Before even getting to Sharpe, Portland already has a tremendous amount of athleticism. Sharpe adds another dimension entirely.
He has the physical tools to become one of the most explosive perimeter players on the roster, and his ability to attack the rim, finish above the defense and play in space gives Portland another weapon when defenses begin loading up on Morant and Lillard. His current knee injury means Portland will have to manage his availability early, but his eventual return could dramatically change the team’s rotation and athletic ceiling.
THE CAMARA EFFECT
Camara may not receive the same headlines as Morant or Lillard, but players like him can become incredibly important on a team with this much offensive firepower.
Somebody has to defend the other team’s best wing, switch when the matchup demands it, rebound outside of the traditional bigs and make the extra rotation. Somebody has to accept the assignment nobody else wants. Camara gives Portland that type of versatility, and Sochan adds another player capable of doing similar things in different lineups.
Those guys matter, especially when you start talking about playoff basketball and the ability to adjust from one matchup to the next.
THE REAL ADVANTAGE: PORTLAND CAN CHANGE ITS IDENTITY
This is what makes the roster so intriguing. Portland doesn’t have to play one way.
It can play fast with Morant or play through Lillard’s shooting. It can get bigger with Clingan or Robert Williams. It can switch defensively with Camara, Sochan and Avdija, surround its creators with size, go veteran-heavy or create opportunities to develop its young guards. Chauncey Billups can put lineups on the floor where the opponent has to solve a completely different problem every few minutes.
That is what makes this roster so difficult to categorize.
On paper, it may look like Portland has too many guards. But when you look deeper, those guards provide completely different skill sets and leadership profiles. The same can be said for the frontcourt. There is overlap, but there are also a lot of different ways to put the pieces together.
WHY I THINK PORTLAND DESERVES TO BE CALLED A SLEEPER
Nobody knows exactly how all of these pieces will fit yet. That’s the biggest question.
There is only one basketball and only so many possessions. Integrating Morant, Lillard, Holiday and Henderson will require clear roles. Health will also matter, particularly with Lillard and Sharpe, while Portland’s young players still have to take another developmental step.
But that’s precisely why I find this team so intriguing. The Trail Blazers don’t have to look like one team every night. They have enough versatility to become several different teams depending on the matchup.
They have explosive talent and veteran leadership. They have championship experience and young players with upside. They have size, athleticism and defensive versatility. And now they have Ja Morant, an explosive personality and player who can change the energy of an entire building with one possession.
Add Damian Lillard’s connection to Portland, Jrue Holiday’s championship pedigree and professionalism, Scoot Henderson’s potential, Sharpe’s athletic upside, Avdija’s versatility, Camara and Sochan’s defensive flexibility, and a deep group of bigs led by Clingan and Robert Williams, and suddenly Portland becomes much more than an interesting roster.
It becomes a problem.
The West is loaded, so nothing is guaranteed. But if Portland can establish clear roles, stay healthy and develop its young talent, I believe this is one of those teams that could look very different by the end of the season than people expect it to look at the beginning.
Sometimes the perfect storm isn’t one superstar. Sometimes it’s a collection of pieces that gives you too many answers for the opponent to solve.
And Portland may have just built exactly that.
