Micah Nori expressed his gratitude as a first-year head coach able to take on a playoff roster in Portland. But it remains to be seen if the Trail Blazers' offseason moves ultimately made Nori's new job easier or harder.
Existing shooting woes worsened, Portland's defensive identity took a hit, and now Nori is left to navigate what is a crowded backcourt with four point guards He's got quite the talented mess to sort out in his first NBA head coaching gig.
1. Who starts for the Blazers?
Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe weren't prioritized last season, and every move Portland's made this offseason suggests that will remain to be the case. That still doesn't make Nori's starting lineup decision easy, especially with Portland seemingly set on Jrue Holiday remaining part of that backcourt equation to start the season.
Locked-in starters are Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan. Assuming Damian Lillard is even 80-90 percent of the player he was prior to injury, you'd assume Nori includes him as well. Not even that feels like a guarantee, however, as this is an ongoing backcourt dilemma.
2. Who brings up the ball and initiates the offense?
This will have to be factored into Nori's starting lineup decision as well. Does Portland have enough playmaking on the court?
Morant gives Portland a true playmaker alongside Avdija but could get in the way of Avdija due to his lack of floor spacing and overlapping strengths as players who are at their best getting downhill.
If they're already comfortable with Avdija in a point forward role with Lillard stepping in as that missing secondary creator, then they would benefit from the scalability of Toumani Camara's 3-and-D game.
Holiday is a blend of both, offering Portland playmaking and shot creation like Morant and the 3-and-D two-way impact like Camara.
It's a good problem for Nori to have, but nonetheless one he already needs to be trying to sort out. Perhaps it's more of a work in progress to see the Blazers' offensive hierarchy come into vision as we get deeper into the season.
Then again, the Blazers have the leverage in Nori's contract and could decide to cut ties after just one season if they're not pleased with the immediate results.
This is arguably the most important decision in Nori's first official test as an NBA head coach. He'll need to find a balance between aiding Avdija's star ascension while finding a way to not repeat as league leaders in turnovers.
Hopefully, that crowded backcourt alleviates some of the playmaking burden off Avdija so they can maximize their possessions. Portland has always tried to win the possession battle by forcing turnovers and generating offensive rebounds, but it's never quite gone fully to plan because of how much they cough the ball up themselves.
A balance between continuing to prioritize Avdija in a point-forward role while supporting him with secondary playmakers is likely the best hybrid approach. But holding onto the ball is an essential part of Portland's formula to winning, and absolutely needs to be more of a point of emphasis from its playmakers this season.
3. Can Portland keep its defensive identity?
Another thing Nori will have to consider when determining the starting unit and rotations: what is this Blazers team? What does he want it to look like?
It's a creative coaching experiment. The Blazers handed Nori a roster full of talent, with overlapping positions and skill sets, with no expressed intention of changing that heading into the season. But the good news is, this is a blank canvas for Nori to construct this roster to the vision he wants to establish after having spent 28 years in the NBA.
How much does that align with what GM Joe Cronin has built over the years?
Cronin established a defensive identity with a roster built on length, athleticism, and defense. The Clingan pick was a huge step in that direction, and then the one-for-one swap of Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday with the Celtics was essentially Cronin doubling down on that identity.
It's worked for stretches when Portland has been at full strength, but where do Morant and Lillard fit into that picture? Is an elite defense now out of the question?
It certainly will be if Morant and Lillard wind up starting together, which again comes down to what type of team Nori wants to be. There's enough defensive playmakers to maintain that identity, though it's a matter of how much Nori wants to lean into those new offensive weapons.
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