Ja Morant’s arrival in Portland does more than change the Blazers’ talent level. It gives them something they were missing when games tightened up last season: a reliable way to get offense when the fourth quarter turned into a grind.
That was the issue for Portland a year ago. The Blazers could hang around against better teams and stay in the fight late, but when the game got tight in the final period, they often ran out of answers. Against tougher opponents, they did not always have an offensive identity they could lean on possession after possession.
Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe gave Portland real scoring punch, but once defenses locked in, everything became harder. The Blazers leaned too much on individual shot-making, and that approach was not enough when other teams could fall back on a more dependable system to create quality looks.
Morant changes that dynamic. His presence gives Portland a player who can control the pace, shape the offense, and take over the biggest moments late in games. When he is at his best, there are not many guards who put that kind of pressure on a defense.
His explosiveness and ability to attack the rim should naturally open things up for everyone else. The offense can run through the gravity he creates at the basket, whether that means finding shooters on the perimeter, setting up Donovan Clingan for a lob, or carving out driving lanes for Avdija or Sharpe.
That is the real value here. Talent matters, but elite teams also need someone who can drag them through the nights when nothing comes easy.
Most teams can look good when the shots are falling. The difference is having a player who can still create an edge when they are not.
Morant gives the Blazers that second gear in close games, especially late in the fourth quarter, where they struggled so often last season. If that swing turns five losses from a year ago into wins, Portland could be in position to compete for a top-five seed in the West.
In Other News...
Deni Avdija Suddenly Holds One Of Portlands Biggest Stakes
Deni Avdija spent much of last season carrying a heavy offensive load and seeing defenses load up on him, the kind of attention that can flatten a young forwards efficiency even as it confirms his importance. For Portland, though, the bigger picture has changed quickly, and Avdija now sits at the center of a roster that looks far less dependent on him to create everything.
With new head coach Micah Nori in place, the fit around Avdija could look very different if the Blazers can spread the ball around and let him attack in more favorable spots. He is already viewed as a key long-term piece for the franchise, and what he does next could shape not just Portlands offense but also where his value lands when contract talks come back into view. [Read more 🡒]
LeBron's Exit Leaves Lakers Facing A Brutal New Reality
LeBron James is out of the Lakers picture, and the ripple effect is already obvious for a Portland team trying to sort out where it stands against a Los Angeles roster in transition. The matchup now looks different at every level, with the backcourt carrying a very different weight than it did before and the frontcourt suddenly looking like a place where the Trail Blazers can make real noise.
Portlands case gets stronger when the conversation shifts to the wings and the paint, where Deni Avdijas emergence gives the Blazers another useful layer and Donovan Clingan brings a ceiling that could tilt the center battle. The Lakers still have the cleaner edge in the guards, but the bigger question for Portland is whether that advantage up front is enough to offset what Los Angeles can still do on the perimeter. [Read more 🡒]