After one exhibition, Ja Morant already knows his Portland Trail Blazers debut wasn’t clean enough.
A day after the 123-118 win over the Golden State Warriors, Morant gave himself a blunt review Thursday following practice in Tualatin: “On a scale of one to 10, I would say probably a 6.5,” he said.
That’s about as honest as it gets, and it fit the night he just had. Morant, the Blazers’ biggest offseason addition, started in the backcourt with Damian Lillard and finished with 8 points, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers in 19 minutes. He shot 3 of 8 from the field in a performance that swung between flashes of what he can do and the kind of mistakes that made the whole thing feel unfinished.
Coach Micah Nori called it “rusty,” and Morant didn’t argue.
The layoff was real. This was his first NBA game action since Jan. 21, after he played only 20 games last season for the Memphis Grizzlies.
But Morant said the rough edges weren’t just about time away from the court. He’s also adjusting to a new team, a new coaching staff and a new system, all while trying to build chemistry with a different group of teammates.
Against Golden State, that showed up in his approach. Morant said he played “a little passive,” passing up open looks and turning down multiple drives to the basket while leaning more on Lillard, Deni Avdija and the rest of Portland’s scorers.
One sequence summed up the night. After a third-quarter drive went sideways, Morant was ready to call a play for someone else, only for Avdija to push him back toward the rim. Morant said that kind of give-and-take is part of the adjustment.
“It’s tough, because I feel like I’m a natural point guard,” Morant said. “I’m not selfish at all.
So that’s definitely a tough part. Like even in that third (quarter), Deni was like, ‘Nah, we’re about to run it again and you’re going to drive again.’
And that’s kind of like - I wouldn’t say it’s new - but it’s different, a different mindset for me, knowing that I like to pass the ball but also can score. So, like I said, it’s a balance.
Definitely different. But I wouldn’t say I’m worried about it at all.”
Even with the uneven debut, there doesn’t seem to be much concern around Morant inside the locker room. If anything, the early read from Portland has been about how quickly he’s settled in off the floor.
That matters, because Morant’s time in Memphis was marked by character questions and talk of a bad attitude. Portland’s version has looked different so far. Since arriving, he’s been around the team, working hard and, most of all, smiling.
“I feel like he has a lot of joy right now,” Lillard said after Wednesday’s exhibition opener. “I think I read people well.
And I can tell he is not pretending to be happy. He walks around with a smile.
When we practice and he’s talking, he’s engaged, he’s invested, and you’re able to see that he’s happy with his situation. He’s had a smile on his face, he’s showed up, he’s been invested.
He’s been in the mix with the team. It hasn’t been a show about him.
It’s just been: What do I need to do? How can I help the team?
And I think that’s a great place to start.”
Morant said that’s not new to him. He described himself as someone who has always liked bringing good energy to work, even during his controversial final months in Memphis. The move to Portland, he said, has only amplified that feeling.
“I feel like everybody should be happy and have joy for a fresh start,” Morant said. “This is a chance at something new and … for me to go and prove myself again. So I would say I definitely get some joy from that.”
The Blazers will need more than joy, of course. Morant knows that, too.
A D-grade debut won’t carry a team far. But both he and Portland sound convinced this is just the first rough draft.
“I think our potential is great,” Lillard said. “We’re on a team that’s super deep.
We’ve got a lot of depth. We’ve got size in the paint.
We’ve got big wings. We have a lot.
I think if we continue to work and keep putting it together the right way and it comes together, we can have a lot of success.”
In Other News...
Blazers New Backcourt Is Already Raising One Huge Question
The preseason opener against Golden State offered a glimpse of what Portlands revamped guard group could look like on offense, with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant both finding the scoreboard and looking comfortable in the same gym. For a team that has added serious shot creation, that part is easy to imagine. The harder part is sorting out how all the pieces fit when the Trail Blazers already have Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson in the mix.
Portlands backcourt depth gives the roster more punch, but it also leaves coach Micah Nori with a lineup puzzle that has to be solved early. Morant and Lillard bring the kind of firepower that can change a game in a hurry, while Holiday offers a more defensive-minded alternative if the team decides it needs more balance. The question now is not whether the guards can score together, but whether the Blazers can find the right combination to keep opponents from exploiting them on the other end. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Loss Put A New Spotlight On Their Bench Depth
Golden States five-point loss to Portland turned into a reminder that even a strong night from the supporting cast does not always guarantee a result. The Warriors got major help from role players, with Dalen Terry coming close to a triple-double and Miles Kelly pouring in 24 points with six 3-pointers, while Brandon Williams, Will Richard, Charles Bassey, Graham Ike and Alex Toohey all chipped in along the way.
For Portland, the win offered another look at how quickly a game can tilt when the Blazers bring enough energy and balance to withstand that kind of production. It was the sort of matchup that puts a premium on depth, and for Golden State it left another question hanging over the group: whether those bench contributions are enough to hold up once the games get tighter and the rotation decisions get more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Bring Back A Familiar Name As Roster Battle Takes Shape
The Clippers kept their preseason roster at 21 players by bringing back a familiar wing, signing Jahmyl Telfort to an Exhibit 10 contract as roster battles continue to take shape around the league. Telfort had already spent time with Los Angeles on a two-way deal before being cut in December, and he is expected to head back to the San Diego Clippers in the G League as part of the next stage of that path.
Elsewhere in the same Exhibit 10 shuffle, Portland moved on from guard Jaylen Martin and Sacramento waived Trhae Mitchell after signing him, a reminder of how these camp deals often double as a pipeline to the G League. For the Trail Blazers, Martin's latest move fits the familiar late-summer churn, with the organization again sorting out its deeper back-end options while keeping an eye on development opportunities tied to the Rip City Remix. [Read more 🡒]