One reason why the Portland Trail Blazers should be able to make their crowded backcourt work is the unselfishness among stars Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, and Jrue Holiday.
That was on full display through Blazers Media Day on Monday, particularly when Morant was asked about the possibility of coming off the bench and whether starting is important to him.
Ja Morant has no problem coming off the bench for Portland
"Winning is the most important thing for me," Morant responded. "So whatever role I have to play to get that done, I don't think anybody would be mad after a win. As a starter, if I'm starting or if I'm not, it's the same thing…. For me, I have no problem with either."
It was reassuring to hear Morant so willing to buy into whatever role is required of him, which is yet another example of how his personality, off-court issues, etc. have been blown out of proportion dating back to this time with the Memphis Grizzlies.
It also shouldn't be too surprising that Morant is open to coming off the bench if needed, as head coach Micah Nori previously discussed that possibility on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
"Well, I don't know," Nori said. "I take people at their word. You can say it, and if it has to come to that, I'll say, 'Hey, you said you didn't care,' number one. But the second thing is, I really believe guys like Ja, Dame, and Jrue, that have been through it and been around want to win. Winning is the most important thing. If you can put yourself in a position to do that, whether it's coming off the bench or starting, as long as you get your minutes, I would never say it's easy."
Why Micah Nori should bench Ja Morant
With building blocks Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan in the frontcourt, it makes sense for Nori to start two of these three guards. Regardless, Nori should be able to find enough minutes for each player in the crowded guard rotation.
Some of that is a testament to Holiday's versatility, who the Blazers plan on using more at forward this season to distribute minutes more easily. Shaedon Sharpe's injury is another factor that opened up roughly 20-25 minutes for Nori to distribute among the rest of these guards.
From Media Day, the takeaway was that Morant is excited about a fresh start and a new opportunity to prove himself, rather than any negativity surrounding fit, role, or minutes. As Morant and Nori both pointed out, it ultimately comes down to the common goal of winning.
That backcourt rotation is something Nori will likely experiment with throughout the season to figure out what works best, but he could eventually decide that it is in their best interest to bring Morant off the bench.
For all the optimism around their explosive backcourt and how teams will contain Morant in the paint while keeping Lillard honest on the perimeter, equally concerning red flags remain about how Portland will defend anyone. Additionally, that downhill game Morant discussed at Media Day sounds like it overlaps with the offense the Blazers already have in place under All-Star Deni Avdija.
Nori may need to stagger Morant's minutes because his strengths overlap with Avdija and Lillard's defensive limitations. But the decision to bring him off the bench would also be to give him the keys to the offense in that second unit.
We saw that to an extent with Jerami Grant's role last season, as he provided much of the scoring and shot creation for a defensive-minded second unit. Grant embraced that bench role better than anyone expected, and history could repeat itself if that's the case with Morant.
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