Portland Trail Blazers' new head coach Micah Nori takes on a talented but challenging roster this season. Even with the injury to Shaedon Sharpe, there are more than five players with a strong case to start.
When Portland initially traded for Ja Morant this offseason, the expectation was Morant and Damian Lillard would start alongside each other in the backcourt. Of course that's no guarantee as it depends on how they look and fit in training camp.
It may not be in the Blazers' interest to start them together, given the glaring defensive limitations that come from such an undersized, offensive-minded backcourt. But if that is the direction Nori decides to take, it could immediately make Jrue Holiday a strong Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
Jrue Holiday's versatility gives Portland the ideal sixth man
Really, whoever gets the short end of the stick should be in the conversation.
Holiday has proven he can play far larger than his 6-foot-4 frame, even holding his own at times while defending Victor Wembanyama in Portland's first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.
That said, Portland really can't afford to start the guard trio of Morant, Lillard, and Holiday all together. They'd finally solve their turnover problems, but at the expense of whatever previously established defensive identity remains after this Morant deal.
With his 6-foot-7 frame and seven-foot wingspan, Toumani Camara is a far better fit as the forward to start alongside Deni Avdija, especially since he's an elite role player who can make a two-way impact without the ball.
Holiday has that to an extent, even if his athleticism is declining at 36. That versatility will also be valuable off the bench as someone who can spell positions one through three.
Micah Nori should use Holiday at small forward this season
Holiday spent 75 percent of his time at point guard and the remaining 25 percent at shooting guard last season. However, he's played small forward in the past, including 59 percent of the time in 2017-18 with the New Orleans Pelicans. Nori should consider a more even distribution of Holiday's minutes at each position.
With Sharpe sidelined for roughly six months with a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, Holiday's potential role off the bench suddenly becomes that much more important.
Jerami Grant is now in Memphis, and Portland's bench lacks scoring options who can generate their own shots. Holiday offers that in Sharpe's absence. He also should address some of that forward depth with pieces like Grant, Kris Murray, and Matisse Thybulle now elsewhere.
The Blazers were right to keep Jrue Holiday
After Portland surprisingly traded for Morant, many looked at Holiday as the next potential domino to fall. However, the Blazers have signaled to teams that they aren't shopping Holiday as that follow-up move.
That's the right decision, as Holiday's versatility will be a valuable asset to a Blazers roster that needs gaps filled in several areas. He had a successful first year in Portland, and that value should be even more apparent after the moves general manager Joe Cronin has made this offseason.
When the season starts, we'll immediately see why the Blazers didn't want to part ways with Holiday despite their crowded backcourt. He helps that situation more than he hurts, even at this late stage of his career.
If Nori does decide to bring the veteran guard off the bench, that versatility and the gaps he fills for Portland will give Holiday a compelling case for Sixth Man of the Year.
Most importantly for the Blazers, that versatility will make them look right to keep him around, regardless of what that specific role may be.
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