The Portland Trail Blazers have sprinted out to a 3-0 start, and the early returns have been loud from beyond the arc. The problem is that this kind of hot streak never feels permanent, and Portland has to have a plan for the night the shot-making cools off.
Ja Morant and Damian Lillard have both been hitting from deep at a rate that jumps off the page. Through Morant’s first three appearances, he has connected on 44.4% of his threes on 3.0 attempts per game.
Lillard is right there too at 42.9% from distance. That’s a strong number for any shooter, even for someone with Lillard’s résumé.
For Morant, it’s especially eyebrow-raising given that he has never shot better than 35% from three in a season.
That’s why the coming dip feels less like a possibility and more like a matter of time. When it arrives, the Blazers need to be ready.
And it isn’t just those two carrying the hot hand. Portland has had several players torching the nets to open the season.
Deni Avdija is at 43.8% on 5.3 three-point attempts per game. Toumani Camara has been even hotter, knocking down 59.1% of his 7.3 threes a night.
Donovan Clingan has joined the party as well, hitting 66.7% of his 2.0 attempts per game.
That level of production is not built to last. Camara shooting 59% from three for a full season would be a historic outlier. So the question for Portland isn’t whether the percentage crash comes - it’s what the team does when it does.
The answer starts on defense, where Jrue Holiday, Camara, and Clingan give the Blazers a tough, physical trio to lean on. Robert Williams III adds to that picture too. If the offense dries up, Portland has the personnel to tighten the screws on the other end.
There’s also more than enough shot creation elsewhere to keep the attack afloat. Morant can get downhill, collapse the defense, and finish at the rim or create for others.
Lillard can do some of that as well. Avdija adds another layer with his ability to drive and draw fouls, giving Portland a reliable source of offense that doesn’t depend on the three-pointer.
So yes, the threes have been flying in and helping fuel the 3-0 start. But the Blazers are built with enough versatility to survive when the shooting normalizes.
In Other News...
Blazers Get An Opening Against A Jazz Team Still Shorthanded
Lauri Markkanens return from a right wrist sprain gives Utah a needed boost heading into its matchup with Portland, but the Jazz are still piecing things together around him. Jusuf Nurkic remains sidelined with a toe issue, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks with an MCL tear, leaving the roster thinner than the Blazers would prefer to see from an opponent trying to steady itself.
For Portland, the opening is there to press the advantage against a team still working through injury trouble and lineup uncertainty. Utah rookie Darryn Peterson is also in the early stages of adjusting to the NBA, with the coaching staff pushing him to be more aggressive, while the broader Western Conference picture keeps shifting around them, including Christian Brauns recent career night for Denver. [Read more 🡒]
Deni Avdija Is Giving Blazers Fans A Real Rotation Debate
The Blazers 112-90 win in Utah gave them their third road victory of the season, but it also added another layer to a rotation that is starting to feel crowded in the best possible way. With Scoot Henderson getting the start in place of the injured Ja Morant and the staff managing minutes for veterans Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, Portland still found plenty of production from Deni Avdija, who led the team with 24 points while staying active on the defensive end.
Avdijas all-around impact was impossible to miss in a game where Portland forced 20 turnovers and held the Jazz to 37 percent shooting. For a team trying to balance development, veteran usage and night-to-night consistency, performances like this are creating a real conversation about where Avdija fits when everyone is available, and whether his current role is big enough for what hes showing. [Read more 🡒]