Toumani Camara's breakout season earned him a spot in the NBA's Rising Stars tournament. Unfortunately, his team's run was cut short after losing to a game-winning shot by Bryce McGowens, who plays for Portland's G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
"I would have been super pissed if it was anybody else," Camara said after the loss. "But my boy Bryce had to make that."
BRYCE McGOWENS FOR THE WIN!@ripcityremix pic.twitter.com/Z8hjqnaEUP
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 15, 2025
We were all pulling for Camara -- not just because he's a fan favorite, but because there was more on the line than usual. The NBA's controversial new All-Star format had the winner of the Rising Stars tournament earn a spot in the All-Star Game.
Camara isn't yet a household name. He was just the No. 52 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and plays in a relatively small market in Portland. The All-Star Game would have been a perfect opportunity for Camara to gain more national recognition.
The NBA keeps experimenting with different formats, and this one wasn't a step in the right direction. This time, the issue had to do with everything other than the players -- unnecessary gimmicks, frequent stoppages, etc. Still, Camara would have made the game even more competitive.
Toumani Camara's two-way impact makes him the Blazers' most valuable player
Those who haven't watched many Blazers games might underestimate how valuable Camara is for this team. His modest numbers of 10.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game this season don't necessarily jump off the page. But Camara frequently guards the opposing team's best player and does all the dirty work, which is highlighted by the fact that he leads the league in charges drawn.
The Blazers were playing better basketball heading into the All-Star break with an impressive 10-4 record in their past 14 games. Portland was discovering their defensive identity as they ranked atop the league in defensive rating during that stretch. A significant reason for this was their wing duo of Camara and Deni Avdija, who have emerged as two of the most important building blocks in Portland's rebuild.
We still think Avdija is a better overall player due to his more polished offensive skillset. But Camara is arguably the more valuable piece, and his offensive game isn't as far behind as some may think. In the last ten games, Camara has led the team in minutes (36.5 per game) while shooting a highly efficient 51.2 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three.
The Blazers' recent success goes hand-in-hand with Camara playing the best basketball of his career. And it's only a matter of time before the rest of the NBA world catches on.