After the Trail Blazers fell 124-103 to the Grizzlies on Thursday, the plan all along was to write about how Deni Avdija needs to be utilized more as a point-forward like last year. The ball was in the hands of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard far too often, especially with how inefficient Lillard was in a game that he didn't appear to be himself in from the start.
But unfortunately, Portland's need for Avdija to step up in that point-forward role now comes from necessity instead of choice. Just like last season, this backcourt is dealing with injuries. This time around, it's Morant. The Blazers guard is sidelined for at least a month after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in their loss to Memphis, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Portland is better equipped to deal with backcourt injuries than last year given their depth between Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, and Jrue Holiday. But they'll certainly miss the elite playmaking that Morant provided this offense that was producing at league-high efficiency through the first three games.
Ja Morant's injury makes it even clearer Deni Avdija needs the ball in his hands
Henderson still leaves something to be desired as the playmaking weapon and table setter the Blazers initially envisioned. Lillard can do it at times, but that's not really his role anymore in this offense at 36 years old after his Achilles injury. The injury to Morant makes it even clearer that Avdija should be the go-to option for this offense. Lillard and Holiday can step up in those secondary playmaking roles while Henderson largely still remains an off-ball guard.
Not to say this offense will be better overall without Morant, but it should play better to Avdija's strengths with the ball in his hands. Morant was spacing the floor surprisingly well to start the season, connecting on 42.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. But considering he's a career 31.3 percent three-point shooter, that shooting should unfortunately regress at some point after returning from injury around December.
Avdija's emergence in this point-forward role proved to be the silver lining for the Blazers' seemingly never-ending backcourt injuries last season. Hopefully the injuries just stop at Morant, but we could see history repeat itself in terms of this now clarifying Avdija's place in Portland's offensive hierarchy -- and both Avdija and the Blazers ultimately being better off because of it.
Not that they're better off without Morant, but this team has a higher ceiling playing through Avdija. They need to complement the pieces that proved to be working in last year's playoff run, and that starts with getting Avdija back to that All-Star form as one of those rare jumbo guards initiating Portland's offense.
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