The Portland Trail Blazers have successfully revamped their defense, ranking in the top ten since the All-Star break. Part of that can be attributed to playing against several teams that have had key players out with injuries, but it's a large enough sample size of 19 games to suggest that they have officially turned a corner.
Chauncey Billups has everyone buying in on that side of the ball, and the switch from Deandre Ayton to Donovan Clingan has improved their rim protection as well. But the most essential piece to Portland's defense is Toumani Camara.
His second-year breakout has been a key factor in the Blazers' improvement from last year's 21-win team. Portland's success is largely tied to Camara's growth. That's encouraging for their long-term outlook, as it appears there's still another layer to Camara's game that has yet to be unlocked.
ESPN picks Toumani Camara as breakout candidate for 2025-26
Jeremy Woo and Chris Herring of ESPN recapped their hits and misses from the 2024-25 season while also selecting five players who they think will break out next season (subscription required). Those five players included Amen Thompson, Dyson Daniels, Jaden Ivey, Quentin Grimes, and Camara.
"Few players ever reach the level of defense that the second-year wing displays nightly for the Blazers. He's already an elite point-of-attack stopper, having hounded Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton into a scoreless, three-shot, six-assist showing back in February. But he's also capable of guarding up, having done an impressive job on much bigger players such as two-time MVP Antetokounmpo and even three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in the paint," wrote Herring.
These five players seem too safe of picks, as many, if not all, have already had a breakout season this year that they will look to build off of. Still, just because it's a safe pick doesn't mean it's wrong.
Camara has already showcased that he's one of the league's premier wing defenders and a valuable 3-and-D piece for the Blazers, which they desperately needed. As Herring notes, the most impressive part of Camara's underrated game is his ability to impact winning in various ways.
"And none of that even covers that he's already a picture-perfect role player and double-figure scorer who not only shoots 37% from 3 on good volume but also rebounds well and contributes more than two stocks (steals plus blocks) per game."
He's already a well-rounded player, but what's most promising for Camara's upside is the fact that he still has room to grow on the offensive end. He played center at Georgia before transferring to Dayton, meaning he's inexperienced and still figuring out how to be effective as a playmaker and shot-creator.
Thompson's ceiling is the highest out of this group of five, but there are similarities between his, Camara's, and Daniels' career trajectories in terms of already being lockdown defenders with room to expand their offensive arsenal to become complete two-way players.
Camara is already one of the Blazers' most important players, especially with how valuable 3-and-D wings are in today's NBA. His floor is a solid role player on a playoff team. But this season has proven Camara's ceiling is also higher than anyone expected.
Blazers fans have plenty to be excited about as Camara aims to build on his breakout year and take his game to yet another level.