Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is taking an "earn, not given" approach to his starting lineup this season.
"There's a lot of ways the starting lineup can go. They've got to go earn it," Billups said at media day. "Whoever plays the best is going to be the starters. I'm glad we have the talent and depth. This is new for me."
We're extremely early on in training camp, which started on September 30 for the Blazers. However, if this limited sample size is any indication, Shaedon Sharpe could earn one of those starting spots.
Blazers insider Sean Highkin recently noted that, from what he's being told by players and Chauncey Billups, Sharpe is the one standout performer so far in camp. If Sharpe continues this high level of play, it should give Billups no choice but to start Portland's high-flyer. If that is the case, the Blazers' starting unit -- once a complex puzzle -- becomes much easier to solve.
Portland's best starting unit after Sharpe's training camp dominance
Here's what that ideally would look like:
- PG: Jrue Holiday
- SG: Shaedon Sharpe
- SF: Toumani Camara
- PF: Deni Avdija
- C: Donovan Clingan
Although the starters aren't technically official, Portland realistically has four of the five spots already determined.
Scoot Henderson's unfortunate injury makes Holiday the starting point guard by process of elimination, as Portland is extremely shallow in the backcourt. Donovan Clingan is reportedly in great shape and set for a breakout season as the starting center following Deandre Ayton's buyout. Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija were arguably Portland's two best players last season, and it's hard to imagine either not starting. The versatility of those wings gives Billups more flexibility with his lineup, as he can pick between a forward (Jerami Grant) or guard (Sharpe) for that last spot.
Grant said at media day that he doesn't expect to come off the bench this season. But considering the signs of Sharpe's impending breakout season, that's increasingly looking like a realistic option for Billups to consider.
The Blazers will need more offensive firepower with Anfernee Simons in Boston and Ayton in Los Angeles. Sharpe proved down the stretch last season that he's capable of filling some of that offensive void, at least relative to the other options on Portland's defensive-minded roster. If Sharpe improves his three-point shot, it's easy to envision a scenario in which he and Avdija are Portland's two primary offensive initiators this season.
If Sharpe does ultimately earn that starting role, he'll need to improve his defense drastically. Offenses in the modern NBA are constantly hunting for those mismatches they can exploit. And if Sharpe can't effectively hold his own out on the perimeter, it's going to be hard for Portland to have an elite defense despite the pieces around him.
But with Sharpe playing well at training camp, this is the lineup that Billups should roll with to start the season. It's the ideal combination of defense and athleticism with just enough scoring and playmaking sprinkled in to remain viable. Most importantly, it leans into the youth movement and long-term approach that the Blazers have prioritized this offseason.