The Portland Trail Blazers keep stacking wins, and Jrue Holiday keeps looking like the piece that makes the whole thing hum.
Portland beat the Phoenix Suns 132-119 on Wednesday and moved to 6-1, good for first place in the Western Conference. The Blazers have done it without Ja Morant, who is still out with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and the offense hasn’t missed a beat. A big reason is Holiday, who has settled into that sixth-man role and keeps plugging whatever gap the night demands.
Against Phoenix, Holiday came off the bench and delivered 15 points and 4 rebounds. Every point came from deep, as he went 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. He never took a shot in the paint, logged 28 minutes, and still finished at +13.
That kind of night has become the point with Holiday: he doesn’t need the ball in one specific place to matter. He just fits.
The Blazers have needed that flexibility because the lineup has already been tested. Scoot Henderson, filling in at starting point guard with Morant sidelined, struggled again on Wednesday, scoring 9 points on 1-of-5 shooting and finishing at -8. He was the only Portland starter with a negative plus/minus.
Even with that, the Blazers have kept rolling early because Joe Cronin kept Holiday in the fold after the Morant trade. Portland has already navigated injuries to Shaedon Sharpe and Morant, plus Henderson’s uneven start in the backcourt. Vit Krejci also left Wednesday’s game late in the third quarter after suffering an ankle injury.
There have been other contributors, too. Sidy Cissoko has handled the wing spot well off the bench, and Nori could keep leaning on two-way signing Chris Youngblood, who made an impact in Monday’s road win over the Denver Nuggets. But the engine remains the same group doing the heavy lifting: Jrue Holiday, Deni Avdija, Damian Lillard, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan.
Holiday is the clearest example of why this group has clicked so quickly. His game bends to whatever Portland needs on a given possession.
He can add playmaking when Morant is out, provide shooting when the offense needs spacing, and cover defensively when the lineup asks for it. The source compared him to the Pokémon Ditto, and the point lands: he can morph into the role in front of him.
Wednesday was another reminder of how valuable that is. Holiday helped carry Portland past Phoenix, and he remains a major reason the Blazers are off to this start.
In Other News...
Blazers Keep Getting Better News From The Damian Lillard Trade
The Damian Lillard trade keeps looking better for Portland, not just because of what the Blazers received in the deal, but because of how the rest of the transaction has played out since. Milwaukee has been trying to navigate an early-season slump after parting with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the ripple effects of the Lillard move have only added to the sense that Portland came out ahead in a major way.
For the Blazers, the return was always about more than one player, and the draft capital attached to the deal has given the franchise more flexibility as it tries to build forward. Milwaukees decision to waive Lillard to create cap room also underscored how much long-term financial maneuvering came with the trade, leaving Portland with a package that keeps gaining value as the Bucks continue to sort through the fallout. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Fans May Not Like How Close This Suns Rematch Looks
The Trail Blazers are heading into their rematch with the Suns in a familiar spot for an early-season contender: dealing with injury absences while still trying to keep the momentum rolling. Portland is expected to be without key players Ja Morant and Shaedon Sharpe, which makes the matchup a little trickier on paper, even as the Blazers have opened the season strong and remain the models pick to win.
For fans, the interesting part is how tight this one looks against the betting market. The simulation projections point toward Portland, but they also suggest a game that could stay close enough to test whether the Blazers can keep turning solid starts into actual results. With the Suns back on the schedule, the margin for error feels slim, and the numbers are leaving just enough room for a tense finish. [Read more 🡒]
Sidy Cissoko Is Quietly Solving A Blazers Problem Joe Cronin Bet On
Joe Cronins decision to stand pat on the wing after the offseason has looked a little less risky with each passing game. The Trail Blazers did not go out and chase a replacement for the players they lost, trusting the roster already in place, and Sidy Cissoko has started to look like the kind of internal answer that can make that bet work. The 22-year-old has carved out a real role off the bench, bringing a steadier offensive touch and the kind of defensive versatility Portland can use in a rotation that still has some sorting out to do.
Through the first six games, Cissoko has given the Blazers something beyond a temporary hot stretch. His shooting has improved, his activity on the other end has fit what the team needs, and the minutes he is getting do not feel accidental. Portland is intentionally making room for him, which says plenty about how the staff views his place in the rotation and how much confidence there is that this two-way impact can hold up. [Read more 🡒]