The Portland Trail Blazers just held a media availability with star guard Jrue Holiday, which was the first time he spoke to reporters since the surprising trade. It's been a long month since the Holiday deal, with the Blazers roster having more questions than answers because of it.
Are the Blazers flipping Holiday? Does he even want to be here? How does the Damian Lillard signing fit into a backcourt that suddenly has yet another logjam? What does this all mean for Scoot Henderson and Portland's starting lineup?
This time around, the Blazers traded for Holiday with the intention of keeping him. Whether or not those plans have changed since Lillard's reunion remains to be seen, but that is also irrelevant in terms of next season, with Lillard expected to miss the entirety of it.
Everything indicates that Holiday will play in Portland to begin the 2025-26 season. Who their starters will be at that point is a trickier question that doesn't have a concrete answer.
Jrue Holiday sees complementary fit with Scoot Henderson
However, Holiday revealed one logical solution during the media availability: starting Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday together in the backcourt.
"Scoot is aggressive. How he gets to the basket is amazing. Me being able to space the floor and shoot the three is something that will help him out. Being able to play off him and knowing that Scoot is the next one up and [helping him] showcase what he can do," said Holiday, via Sean Highkin on X.
The Blazers have seven players who could make a case to be the opening day starters. Of that group, the only locks are their core frontcourt pieces: Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan. That leaves Portland's roster with plenty of uncertainty, and head coach Chauncey Billups with plenty of options. He'll have to decide between Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, and newly acquired Holiday to round out the final two spots.
Here's what Billups should do:
PG: Scoot Henderson
SG: Jrue Holiday
SF: Toumani Camara
PF: Deni Avdija
C: Donovan Clingan
The case for starting both guards
With Portland's lack of ball-handling and playmakers, Henderson has a strong case to start. Every move the Blazers have made this offseason has been in the best interest of unlocking Henderson and giving him more room to grow -- it would be a waste not to see what they fully have in him.
If that is the case, it makes sense to surround Henderson with someone to complement his game. Holiday himself highlighted why he is the best of Portland's remaining options for that role.
His calming veteran presence, championship-level IQ, secondary playmaking, and floor spacing will help unlock Henderson's game. Holiday's positional versatility is also ideal for a starter, as he can fill in the missing gaps for whoever subs out.
Not to mention, the Blazers are tired of losing. They believe they can make a legitimate playoff run, or at the very least, a play-in spot next season. Portland's ambitious playoff goals make it challenging to balance the development of its young core. But starting Holiday alongside Henderson in the backcourt gives them a good mix of both timelines they're attempting to juggle.