The debut of the Portland Trail Blazers' star-studded starting lineup went resoundingly well. But the rest of the season won't always be as easy as it was on Wednesday. If Toumani Camara can keep being a defensive menace while providing contributions everywhere else on the court, though, the Blazers could have a fighting chance against any opponent.
The fourth-year forward gained recognition two years ago for his defense. He ended up securing a spot on the 2025 All-Defensive Second Team, becoming the first Blazer to earn All-Defensive honors in over 20 years.
Last season, he failed to get voted in. That doesn't mean he has regressed as a stopper, of course. He remains one of the NBA's most versatile defenders and even led the league in drawn offensive fouls. And with Portland's decision to start Damian Lillard and Ja Morant together on the backcourt, the team will need Camara to show once more that he is among the Association's elite defenders.
The Blazers may have stumbled upon the right formula
Much has already been said about the concerns surrounding the Lillard-Morant pairing. The biggest, probably, is how many points they might give up to their defensive assignments.
For one night, at least, they showed that there is not much to worry about. The Blazers held the Phoenix Suns to just 83 points for the evening and made a 21-0 run to kick the contest off. Lillard did not take long to prove he is far from washed. Meanwhile, Morant seemed to feel right at home with the Rip City squad.
However, the bigger story of the evening was the defense. And Camara was a major reason Phoenix struggled to get clean looks all night long. Donovan Clingan and the bench platoon that included Jrue Holiday, Robert Williams III, Sidy Cissoko, and Scoot Henderson also deserve credit for their handiwork.
Still, that starting lineup looks like it will make life miserable for opponents. With Deni Avdija, Lillard, and Morant appearing to be a seamless fit on offense and Camara and Clingan patrolling the perimeter and the paint on the other end, Portland can be a matchup nightmare for the rest of the league.
The Blazers will need more from their defensive ace
As I said, though, not all games will be a cakewalk for the Blazers. Sure, the Suns have a superstar in Devin Booker, but they lack a true point guard who can exploit Portland's undersized starting backcourt or a dominant paint presence who can pry defenders away from the three-point line. Other teams do.
So, Camara has to be on his A-game on most nights to ease some of the defensive burden off Dame and Ja. The good news is that he is equipped and seems prepared to do the heavy lifting on defense while still providing key offensive contributions, as he proved by scoring 18 on 6-9 shooting (4-7 from three) against the Suns.
And if Tou can play up to or even exceed the standards he set for himself during his breakout season, we should see him bag another All-Defensive selection and, more importantly, help the Blazers make some noise in the Western Conference.
Add us as a preferred source on Google