The Portland Trail Blazers are heading into the 2026-27 season with a backcourt puzzle that could define the way they look on both ends of the floor, and head coach Micah Nori is already signaling that the obvious star pairing may not be the cleanest fit.
According to The Athletic’s Jason Quick, Nori believes starting Ja Morant alongside Damian Lillard “doesn’t make sense.” The concern is straightforward: both guards are undersized, and neither has built a reputation as a difference-maker defensively. That creates a tricky balance for a first-year coach trying to sort out a rotation loaded with big names.
Quick reported that the more analytically sound move would be to put Jrue Holiday in the starting five instead. Holiday brings size and elite perimeter defense, giving Portland a sturdier defensive backbone while allowing either Morant or Lillard to remain in the lineup. But that solution comes with its own headache, because it would mean asking one of the two All-Star guards to come off the bench.
That’s no small ask. Lillard is back in Portland as a franchise icon after his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, and Morant has started 325 of his 327 career games. For either player, a move to a reserve role would be a major adjustment.
Nori knows the sensitivity of the situation. He’s a first-year head coach on a one-year contract, but he told The Athletic that his job status won’t factor into the decision. Instead, he plans to use the Blazers’ four preseason games to test different combinations and see what actually works.
Even so, he said he will “probably” start Morant and Lillard together in Wednesday’s preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors.
The fit has been under the microscope since Portland brought Morant in from the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason. Last season, Morant averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists, but he shot just 41.0% from the field and 23.5% from three-point range. Over his career, he’s a 31.1% three-point shooter, which doesn’t exactly scream ideal off-ball partner for another high-usage guard.
The defensive concerns are just as loud. Lillard’s game has always been driven by his scoring, while Morant has yet to establish himself as a top-tier defender. Put them together, and the Blazers could be asking a lot from the players behind them.
Holiday changes that conversation immediately. His ability to handle the toughest perimeter assignments gives Portland a much more balanced option if Nori decides to prioritize fit over star power.
Nori has also suggested that Morant could be open to a bench role. He said veterans like Morant, Lillard, and Holiday were focused on winning and would make sacrifices if necessary.
That matters because Portland’s rotation is crowded. Along with Morant, Lillard, and Holiday, the Blazers also have Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson in the mix, giving Nori plenty of talent to sort through and not nearly as much clarity.
For now, the biggest question is simple: which combination actually complements itself? Nori appears ready to keep an open mind, and the preseason will give him the first real look at whether the Morant-Lillard pairing can hold up or whether Portland needs to get unconventional.
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It also arrives at a useful point on the calendar, just three days before Portland begins preseason play at home against the Warriors on Oct. 7. For a team still trying to build its identity before the games count, Fan Fest offers the first live look at how this group is coming together, and another reminder that the crowd inside Moda Center is likely to matter as much as the basketball itself. [Read more 🡒]