HoopsHype’s latest point guard rankings for the 2026-27 season put Portland Trail Blazers fans in a strange spot: the team has three names on the list, but Damian Lillard is not nearly as high as his résumé suggests he should be.
The Blazers’ point guards landed at No. 27 with Jrue Holiday, No. 20 with Ja Morant, and No. 17 with Lillard. That setup alone hints at a roster that may still need more balancing, even if Portland is clearly banking on talent to sort some of that out.
Holiday’s placement stands out in its own right. After a strong first season in Portland, the 36-year-old made it clear he still has plenty left.
Morant, meanwhile, is harder to pin down because the ranking is projecting forward to 2026-27. He remains more gifted than several players above him, but the questions around his game - and beyond it - are hard to ignore.
As a ball-dominant guard who wants to get downhill, can’t provide much defense, and doesn’t stretch the floor, he brings fit concerns that don’t disappear just because the talent is obvious. Teams can’t contend with Morant as the centerpiece, but he’s an even worse off-ball fit.
Portland is betting that the upside outweighs the mismatch.
Lillard’s case is different. He’s another undersized, offense-first guard, but the uncertainty around him is tied to health, not doubt about what he’s already shown.
There’s no guarantee he returns at full strength, yet he already reminded everyone he can still shoot with the best of them by winning the 3-Point Contest. The rehab process is expected to help, and so will the work ethic that has followed him throughout his career.
What makes the ranking feel especially harsh is the company Lillard was placed behind. San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox and Utah rookie Darryn Peterson came in at No. 14 and No. 13, respectively.
The source argument is simple: both are players plenty of fans from those teams would still likely trade for Lillard next season. Fox may be more explosive right now, but Lillard’s decision-making, clutch shot-making, and spacing would be a major boost for Victor Wembanyama.
Peterson, of course, has not played an NBA game yet.
That’s why Lillard fits best in a tier with stars who carry either big-time volatility or real uncertainty about how high their ceiling actually goes. LaMelo Ball, Trae Young, and James Harden all landed in that range, and all three have changed teams in the past year after their clubs moved on from stars who still had something to prove in terms of championship leadership. Lillard’s own injury cloud makes him a natural fit in that group.
Even with the Achilles tear hanging over him, the bigger point is that Lillard has earned more respect than a No. 17 slot suggests. The injury history is real, especially at this stage of his career. But he’s also spent his entire NBA journey beating the odds, and there’s no reason to assume this challenge will be any different.
Portland may have a top-10 point guard on its hands this season, and Lillard is set on reminding people exactly who he is.
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Micah Nori Faces One Huge Task As Blazers Camp Opens
Micah Nori is settling in as the Trail Blazers new head coach as training camp opens, bringing with him the experience he built as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Portland is asking him to put his stamp on the program quickly, with camp offering the first real chance to install his ideas and establish how this team wants to play after a coaching change.
The timing matters because the Blazers are looking at a roster with a very different ceiling than it had a season ago, thanks to the return of Damian Lillard and the additions of Ja Morant and Deni Avdija. How Nori pieces together that mix will go a long way toward shaping Portlands place in the Western Conference, and camp is where the first clues will start to emerge. [Read more 🡒]
Shaedon Sharpe Faces A Blazers Role That Could Change Everything
Portlands backcourt picture is getting crowded in a hurry, and Shaedon Sharpe is right in the middle of it. With Ja Morant and Damian Lillard expected to open next season as the starting guards, the Trail Blazers are preparing to bring Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Sharpe off the bench, a setup that changes the shape of a rotation that already had to absorb Lillards return from injury and Morants arrival via trade.
For Sharpe, the assignment is less about status than impact. He just spent last season showing what he can do as a starter, but the next step may be defining himself in a reserve role that still carries real weight for Portland. The Blazers are still sorting out how the pieces fit, and Sharpes usage could shift again depending on how the group settles in and what the roster looks like down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Suddenly Have One Huge Forward Question To Figure Out
Jerami Grant is headed into a new chapter with Memphis after being acquired in the trade involving Ja Morant and the Portland Trail Blazers, and his arrival adds another layer to a frontcourt that already had plenty to sort through. The veteran forward brings experience and versatility, the kind of profile that can help a team in transition, but it also means the Grizzlies now have to decide where he fits best as they shape the rotation around their existing pieces.
Grant is expected to compete for playing time at both forward spots, which makes the fit interesting and a little complicated in equal measure. Memphis has options, but not unlimited room, and the way it sorts out minutes at power forward and small forward could say plenty about how the team wants to balance proven production with long-term roster planning. [Read more 🡒]