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Despite a summer filled with off-court distractions, the Portland Trail Blazers are focused on advancing toward contention. The team is coming off a surprisingly strong 2025-26 campaign in which they posted a 42-40 record and claimed the seventh seed in the playoffs. Looking to build on that success, Portland took a chance on Ja Morant, adding him to an already deep guard rotation.
Morant's specific role for the upcoming season remains uncertain. Portland boasts four legitimate starting-caliber guards in Morant, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson, leaving new head coach Micah Nori with the challenging task of making this unconventional roster work. Nevertheless, early indications are highly encouraging.
The Blazers shared a hype video on X demonstrating that Morant is already meshing well with his new teammates. The footage, however, does not reveal which lineups the coaching staff plans to use, as they appear to still be experimenting with various combinations.
Key Analysis
Logic suggests that Morant, as the highest-paid player on the team, is likely to start. Yet, his fit alongside Lillard raises questions, as both could be defensive liabilities. Would the Blazers bench Lillard, the franchise's greatest player, to accommodate their new acquisition? Regardless of the outcome, Portland possesses the tools to play fast and loose, with abundant playmakers and shot-creators throughout the roster.
If Deni Avdija can build on his impressive 2024-25 season, in which he averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, Portland could emerge as a sneaky playoff contender in the competitive Western Conference.
The Blazers begin their preseason schedule on October 7, hosting the Golden State Warriors at Moda Center at 10:00 PM E.T.
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Originally reported by yahoo.