The Portland Trail Blazers spent last season winning 42 games with an offense that never looked comfortable. They coughed up the ball at a league-high rate of 16.5 turnovers per game, and they didn’t exactly make up for it from deep, finishing 28th in three-point shooting at 34.3 percent.
That’s why the Ja Morant addition matters so much. He doesn’t fix Portland’s shooting concerns, but he changes the way the offense can function because he brings a level of playmaking the Blazers badly needed.
Some of the shooting picture in Portland has already started to brighten. Damian Lillard’s return is the biggest reason, since he’s already shown he can still punish defenses from long range. There’s also the possibility of internal growth from Donovan Clingan, Scoot Henderson and Sidy Cissoko, and the front office expects the team to be better in that area this season.
But improved shooting alone doesn’t solve the real problem. Those players may be taking steps forward as shooters, yet none of them has fully developed into a reliable creator for themselves or for others.
Henderson can pass, but he still isn’t polished enough to be the primary offensive initiator Portland once imagined. For now, he’s slid into more of an off-ball role and has taken a backseat in the offense.
Clingan and Cissoko are still developing on that end and depend heavily on teammates to put them in scoring position. The same goes for 3-and-D wing Toumani Camara.
That reality put a huge load on Deni Avdija last season. He handled it well enough to break through as an All-Star, but the cost was obvious: Portland’s offense became too dependent on him. The Blazers finished as a first-round playoff exit with an attack built around Avdija and only Avdija, and once the Spurs’ defense focused on him, Portland struggled to find any steady offense.
Preseason has already offered a different look, with the offense appearing far less stuck in mud. Morant has been a big part of that, embracing a smaller role and making selfless plays that help set up the Blazers’ more defense-oriented pieces.
Portland still has some secondary playmaking from Lillard and Holiday, but those are aging veterans closer to the end than the beginning. They aren’t the long-term answer around Avdija. Henderson has had a strong offseason, but not in the sense of becoming that co-star.
That’s where Morant comes in. There’s still a chance he gets back to form, but even if he settles in as little more than a role player, he can still give Portland real value. At minimum, he eases the playmaking burden on Avdija now and in the future, while giving the Blazers a better shot at turning their offense into something that can hold up in the postseason.
In Other News...
Former Blazer Sees Portland As A Real Threat Out West
Robin Lopez has never been shy about weighing in on the Western Conference, and his latest prediction puts the Portland Trail Blazers in an interesting spot. Looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, the former Blazer sees the Los Angeles Lakers slipping to sixth in the West, with Portland finishing ahead of them as the leagues landscape keeps shifting.
Lopez pointed to the conference losing stars like LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard while Portland has added big names in Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, giving the Blazers a much different ceiling than they had a year ago. The Lakers are expected to lean on Walker Kessler and more or less tread in place, which makes Portlands rise feel less like a hot take and more like a real part of the conversation if the roster comes together the way Lopez believes it can. [Read more 🡒]
Jrue Holiday Is Already Solving A Blazers Problem Fans Feared
The Trail Blazers entered preseason with a familiar roster concern, but the early returns have been encouraging in a place fans were already watching closely. Portlands backcourt has the look of a crowded room, yet Jrue Holidays versatility has helped the team manage it without forcing awkward compromises, giving the Blazers a cleaner path to sorting out minutes and roles as they get deeper into camp.
Joe Cronin has pointed to Holiday as a source of depth and flexibility, and that matters even more with the wing and forward spots feeling thinner after offseason departures and injuries. Shaedon Sharpes knee surgery only sharpened the need for cover elsewhere, so Holidays ability to steady multiple spots has already become one of the more useful developments in Portlands preseason. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Final Tuneup Puts Two Key Pieces Under Pressure
The Trail Blazers get one last preseason look at the Warriors on Friday at 7 p.m., and it comes with a familiar measuring stick. Portland already beat Golden State once in exhibition play, but this final tuneup is less about the result and more about how the rotation pieces look as the regular season approaches. For a team trying to sharpen its identity, the closing preseason game is the last clean chance to sort out habits before the games start counting.
Jrue Holiday and Donovan Clingan have both given Portland plenty to like on the defensive end, where their impact has been clear throughout the preseason. The question is whether either can find more consistency from three-point range, an area that has come and gone so far and remains an important part of how the Blazers want to space the floor. With one more dress rehearsal left, that balance between defense and perimeter shooting is exactly what Portland will be watching. [Read more 🡒]