Admittedly, Ja Morant may not be the best fit for this Portland Trail Blazers roster. But at Blazers Media Day on Monday, you could get a better sense of why general manager Joe Cronin decided to add more talent to the roster.
Morant's eagerness for a fresh start felt contagious, and hopefully that will continue throughout the 2026-27 season. You didn't get a sense of a guy with off-court issues, character concerns, etc., that the media has portrayed him as with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Morant's unselfishness and desire to win shone through more than anything, which should give Blazers fans more reason to be optimistic that this crowded backcourt may actually work.
Blazers have the perfect mentors for Ja Morant
Besides the general change of scenery for Morant, one thing the Blazers in particular can offer is the veteran leadership of aging star guards Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday.
"Now having Dame and Jrue, guys who've been here for a while, it's definitely a plus," Morant said. "And they also are guards too, so I get to ask more guard questions now. And just spend time with them, get to pick their brain anytime I need to."
According to Morant, that leadership was apparent on day one.
"They talked to me pretty early on day one about that. I came in just trying to figure everybody else out and kind of fit in, and they didn't like that... Dame for sure was one. I was just passing up shots. I was just trying to feel guys out one day. It was actually the first day I was here, but he didn't allow that too much, so I had to start scoring."
It's encouraging that they're already pushing Morant to stand out, because that's how the Blazers will get the best version of him. The former two-time All-Star Memphis Grizzlies guard certainly wasn't worried about fitting in and feeling everyone out.
It's a new start in Portland for not only Morant but also first-year head coach Micah Nori. Having veterans like Lillard and Holiday is even more beneficial in that scenario, and it just so happens that Lillard is elite offensively while Holiday is more of a defensive weapon. Similar to how Scoot Henderson's two-way game benefited from having these veterans around last season, we could see more off-ball growth from Morant.
He'll continue to be a leader himself, but now has that luxury of learning from two of the league's best at the same position. That's a great situation for Portland to surround Morant with in hopes that he returns to form and returns value on this trade with Memphis.
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