The initial test for first-year head coach Micah Nori was who to start in the Portland Trail Blazers' season opener Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns. Nori previously hinted that Ja Morant would be starting in the backcourt alongside Damian Lillard, and that proved to be the case.
It was a polarizing decision as it remained to be seen whether the talented but undersized duo would fit together. After all, Portland had struggles with the offense-minded pairing of Lillard and CJ McCollum previously, particularly when it came to postseason success.
We still have a long way to go in the season before seeing how Morant fits into the picture come playoff time. That said, early results are incredibly promising that this backcourt logjam might just be crazy enough to work in Portland.
Revamped Blazers' backcourt helps blowout Suns
The Blazers needed just one quarter to validate Nori's decision to start Morant and Dame together. Ultimately, they won 124-83, but this one was largely over after the first quarter ended 43-12.
It seemed inevitable that Lillard would be starting, with the final spot then coming down to Morant or Jrue Holiday. The case for Holiday is the seamless two-way fit as a versatile and proven championship piece.
There are a few concerns regarding Morant's fit in Portland: defense, shooting, and whether his ball-dominant game would ultimately wind up helping or hurting Deni Avdija. You couldn't have asked for a better season opener as far as simultaneously addressing all of those concerns.
Morant can't change the fact that he's undersized, especially when sharing the backcourt with Lillard. But he did everything he possibly could to check all those boxes to help the team win. There was a reason he finished with a game-high +33, between the defensive effort, efficient shooting, and unselfish playmaking.
Micah Nori was right to start Ja Morant
Morant finished with 14 points (6-of-8 FG, 2-of-3 3PT), 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 turnover in just 23 minutes. We would've liked to see him shoot and play more in general, but it's hard to complain as he was a huge reason why Portland was able to get out ahead of Phoenix from the jump.
It looked to be a good blend of offense and defense in the starting unit, between the offensive trio of Morant, Lillard, and Avdija and the defense of Camara and Clingan. Holiday's versatility proved essential to fill in all those gaps as the sixth man as well.
But you could feel the difference in terms of offensive flow when Portland had Morant out there compared to Holiday. It overwhelmed the Suns' defense, as they had too many offensive weapons to worry about. Phoenix couldn't contain the speed of Morant, the shooting of Lillard, and the physicality of Avdija all on the court at once. A hot three-point shooting night from the Blazers (19-of-47, 40 percent) provided that floor spacing to keep the Suns scrambling.
We saw that dynamic guard pairing turn into a strength of Portland's, justifying not only the trade but also Nori's decision to start the two together. The Blazers now have a great opportunity to get off to a 2-0 start to the season, with their next matchup coming Friday on the road against the Sacramento Kings. Should their winning ways continue, it's just going to make Nori's decision to start Morant in the backcourt look that much better.
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