Toumani Camara is turning out to be the unquestioned steal from the Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard trade. Credit to GM Joe Cronin for landing Camara, who was largely viewed as a "throw-in" piece as part of the Deandre Ayton-Jusuf Nurkic swap with the Phoenix Suns. Not only is Camara outplaying both centers, but he's emerged as arguably the most important player on the entire Blazers roster.
It's safe to say that Portland finally has found the long-term 3-and-D wing they've been searching for all these years. That comes as no surprise for Blazers fans who have watched Camara's ascension over the past two seasons. But now, the rest of the NBA world, from analysts to opposing players and fans, is finally catching on.
I would like to announce that I have promoted Toumani Camara to TV 1.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 9, 2025
Trey Murphy III thinks Toumani Camara is one of the most underappreciated players in the league
New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III joined Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Conner on The Kevin O'Connor Show. One question KOC asks Murphy is to name five underappreciated players around the league. His first pick? Camara.
"He is an elite defender. I don't think people really pay attention to how good he is on defense," said Murphy. "A lot of times you see tall, lengthy defenders give up strength or they give up agility. Not a lot of them have all the tools. He has agility, he has strength, he's smart defensively."
Camara should be in the conversation for All-Defensive awards throughout his career. His 6-foot-7 frame, 7-foot wingspan, and agility make him one of the rare players in today's NBA who can effectively guard positions one through five, as evidenced by his 99 defensive versatility rating, according to Crafted NBA.
People are finally starting to talk more about how special of a defender Camara really is. He recently even received recognition for his defense in a great film breakdown by Thinking Basketball, who went as far as to draw comparisons to Scottie Pippen.
Camara is the elite wing defender that every team needs. He's leading the league in drawn charges and constantly guarding the opposing team's best player, which will play an integral part when Portland is ready to make a playoff run. The All-Star Game did a horrible job of showcasing this, but there's a ton of superstar talent in the Western Conference. The Blazers will need Camara's defense to help contain them all.
And the best part is that Portland has a ton of flexibility with any matchup that comes their way in the postseason. It doesn't matter what position the superstar plays. Camara will be there.