The Portland Trail Blazers enter this season with a backcourt that looks very different from the one that spent last year scrambling through injury after injury. That mess helped explain why Portland still managed 42 wins and a postseason berth, and it also helped push Deni Avdija into a bigger point-forward role to keep the offense moving.
Now the Blazers have flipped the script. Even with another long-term injury situation involving Shaedon Sharpe, the backcourt has gone from a problem area to a strength over the offseason. The biggest upgrade is simple: Portland has more ball handlers and decision-makers than new head coach Micah Nori seems to need.
That crowded group is part of why Avdija should stay in the same central role he grew into last season under interim coach Tiago Splitter. Nori made that clear Monday at Blazers Media Day, and it would have been hard to argue otherwise after the way Avdija helped stabilize the offense a year ago.
But Nori also sees something else this deeper guard rotation can unlock for Avdija: a return to more defensive work. That was a calling card for him in Washington, and Nori believes Portland can get him back there.
" Everyone wants to talk about us possibly being small on the perimeter; how do we protect those guys? And so we'll have some ways to combat that. But when you have Camaras, Jrues, and then the two big guys that we have there as a start… and then we'll also get Deni to start guarding over here in the Western Conference like he did in the Eastern Conference when he was in Washington," Nori said.
Nori also described Avdija as a "very capable defender when he wants to be, for sure."
That matters because Avdija’s defense slipped last season in Portland, and it wasn’t hard to see why. He was carrying so much of the offense that some of his energy on the other end had to go elsewhere. With more creators around him now, his scoring volume could dip a bit, but the tradeoff may be cleaner looks and less forcing.
That’s where the real upside lives for Portland. The added playmaking should not just make Avdija more efficient; it should give him a chance to look like a fuller version of himself as a two-way wing. He has the size and athletic tools to defend on the perimeter, and the Wizards already showed that side of his game before.
The challenge, of course, is what this all means for the Blazers defensively. More offensive creation in the backcourt comes with some risk on that end, and Portland’s overall identity takes a hit because of it. Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday give the Blazers real cover on the perimeter, but they’ll still need Avdija’s length and versatility to help make the roster fit together.
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Shaedon Sharpes Absence Could Change His Blazers Role For Good
Shaedon Sharpes setback arrives at an awkward moment for a Portland backcourt still sorting out its identity. The Trail Blazers were already headed into a season where guard roles and ballhandling responsibilities were going to matter, and the injury now forces the team to rework that mix without one of its most explosive perimeter options available.
Micah Nori touched on the ripple effect at Media Day, where the conversation centered on how Portland wants to organize its offense and who will carry more of the decision-making load. Sharpes absence opens the door for a different style of guard rotation, and it may also reshape the way the Blazers think about his place once he returns. [Read more 🡒]
Damian Lillards Return Feels Different For The Blazers This Time
Damian Lillards long road back to Portland has reached the point where basketball is finally the focus again. After roughly 16 months of rehab from a torn left Achilles tendon, he showed up for the Blazers media day sounding like a player who has spent enough time away to appreciate the simplest parts of the job, talking about a fresh perspective and a renewed emphasis on enjoying the process.
For Portland, the return comes with obvious intrigue because Lillard is not approaching this like a rushed comeback. He said he feels healthy, and the tone around his return has shifted away from the usual strain that comes with a star trying to get all the way back. Instead, the next phase is about getting into training camp and seeing how his presence fits with a team that has been waiting a long time to have him back on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Camp Opens With One Huge Dame And Ja Question
Training camp opens with a different feel around Portland, where Micah Nori is stepping in as the new coach and the roster now has both familiar urgency and fresh uncertainty. Damian Lillard is back in the mix after a lost stretch, the front office has changed around him, and the Blazers are trying to sort out what comes next after last seasons playoff trip.
The biggest questions are concentrated in the backcourt, where the team has more proven guard talent than obvious answers. Ja Morants arrival gives Portland another high-end option to fit alongside a veteran core, but it also raises the stakes for how the rotation will be shaped and who settles into the most important minutes as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]